Here Are the Leading Accidents in the Transportation Industry
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the leading causes of accidents in the transportation industry, from air travel to road transport.
Here’s What To Do After a Car Accident Caused by Winter Weather
Today’s blog discusses what you should do after you’ve been in a car accident caused by snow. We will also discuss tips for driving safely to prevent an accident from occurring.
How Can a Car Accident Result in PTSD?
PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced a traumatic event such as a serious accident, natural disaster, an assault, and other tragic events.
7 Common Seatbelt Injury Symptoms and What To Do About Them
Seat belt use undoubtedly saves lives, but it’s also possible to sustain seatbelt injuries after being in a car crash. Knowing the symptoms of seatbelt injuries can enable you to seek medical care when you need it and take care of your injuries so you can get back to everyday life. The most common type of seatbelt is the three-point seat belt, which covers your shoulder, chest, and lower stomach area. During a crash, the force of impact goes into your body and the areas where the seat belt rests become blunt trauma sites. There’s a high likelihood that those trauma sites will be injured. The severity of the injury depends on how intense the accident was. Keep reading to learn about the seven most common seatbelt injury symptoms and what to do about them. 4 Types of Seatbelts There are four types of seatbelts, including three-point, lap belt, motorized, and harness seatbelts. The three-point seatbelt is most commonly used in newer models, but the other three can be found in older cars, many of which are still around. Three-point seatbelts go over your shoulder and chest, and have a lap band across your waist. Lap belts come with an adjustable strap that goes across your lap. Lap belts are usually seatbelts for the middle seat in the backseat and are used to secure car seats. Motorized seatbelts consist of two straps, one being a retractable lap belt that buckles near the hip. The other strap is retractable and comes from the inside of the seat. Once buckled in, it rotates back and forth on the edge of your body while the car is moving. Motorized seatbelts were never popular and were only ever used in front seats. Harness seatbelts are found in high-end sports cars for added safety at high speeds. The harness ranges from four to six points. 7 Seatbelt Injury Symptoms Neck injury/whiplash – Whiplash is the most common neck injury associated with car accidents. It happens when the force of the crash causes the neck to go backward and forward suddenly. Whiplash is most likely to occur from a rear-end accident, although it is possible in any car accident. Chest and shoulders – Your chest and breastbone are direct points of impact in a head-on collision, and they protect your lungs, heart, spleen, and liver, all of which are at risk for injury after impact. In extreme crashes, your first and second ribs can get fractured from the shoulder harness. This injury can pierce the carotid and subclavian arteries, leading to severe bleeding. If you’ve been in a car crash and have difficulty breathing or feel chest pain, seek medical care immediately, as these are signs of potentially fatal injuries. Seat belt sign – A “seat belt sign” refers to a seatbelt-shaped bruise on your body. The contusion or abrasion will go across your chest and abdomen and is a sign of internal injuries. You should still seek medical care to rule out injuries, even if you’re not in pain. It very well may save your life. Seat belt syndrome – Seat belt syndrome includes a seat belt sign, but the potential for injury is broader, including the spine and abdominal organs. You’ll notice bruises and abrasions horizontally across your body and at a 45-degree angle from your hip to the opposite shoulders. Symptoms include muscle strain around the abdomen, weakness in legs, dizziness, blood in urine or stool, inability to use the restroom, vomiting or coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and abdominal, hip, or rib pain. These injuries are life-threatening, so seek medical care right away: Intra-abdominal organs – Chest organs are protected by bones, but intra-abdominal organs aren’t, making them more susceptible to severe injuries. An accident with serious force can cause intestinal injuries, including intestinal perforation, ruptured bowel, and seromuscular tears. Abdominal, soft tissue, and underlying organ injuries don’t always surface immediately. So, if you feel pain hours or days later, you should seek medical care. Bones and other musculoskeletal structures – Seat belt fractures, or chance fractures, happen more frequently with lap belts than with three-point belts, but they still occur. These fractures are from forceful spine flexion, where the spine bends toward the abdomen and then extends out again. If you notice back pain immediately or in the days following an accident, you should go to the doctor to see if you have a musculoskeletal fracture. Lacerations – This injury usually occurs in older cars without updated seat belts. These seat belts are thick and brittle, easily lacerating you when the strap locks up during a collision. How deep the cut goes depends on how severe the accident was. But no matter how shallow or deep the cut is, there’s always the chance for infection, so it’s essential to treat the wound so that it heals properly. Treating the wound will also help prevent scarring. As you can see, seat belt injuries in car accidents can be deadly, so it’s crucial to call 911 when you’ve been in an accident immediately. This important step in the car accident process is there for a reason – it saves lives. While these injuries can be severe, seat belt use can prevent far worse injuries and even death by preventing you and your passengers from being ejected from the vehicle. A person not wearing a seat belt is 30 times more likely to be ejected, and three-fourths of ejected passengers die from their injuries. We recommend always wearing a seat belt and calling 911 if you’re in an accident so your injuries (if you have any) can be treated as quickly as possible. Flickinger Boulton Gooch & Robson Can Help If you’ve been in a car accident and sustained an injury from seatbelt use, Flickinger Boulton Gooch & Robson can help. We’ve spent the past 20+ years representing personal injury victims and come with 150 years of combined experience among all of our lawyers. As a result, we have the expertise you need
Causes of Accidents: Road Conditions
Poorly maintained roads can take drivers by surprise and lead to car accidents. Unsafe road conditions cannot be anticipated when planning your next trip, so it is essential to stay vigilant.
What To Do When You’re An Injured Passenger
The passengers are often forgotten or neglected in an auto accident, so it’s critical that you can act for yourself in the event of a vehicle crash if you find yourself a passenger when an accident occurs.
Here’s When You Shouldn’t Drive Your Car After Getting in a Car Accident
Getting into a car accident might be your worst nightmare; it is for many people for a good reason. Accidents are never planned and leave us feeling shaken. We often wish we had been in a different place to avoid the accident. But we spend most of our time discussing what to do right after the crash. And while collecting contact and insurance information from other drivers and witnesses matters, so does what happens next. After the police have left the scene and everyone parts way, you need a way to get home, which raises an important question. Is it safe to drive your car after you’ve been in an accident? The answer? It depends. There are times when it’s perfectly fine to drive your car post-accident, but there are times when driving your car could be dangerous for you and others on the road. Of course, as a responsible driver, you want to be able to drive your vehicle safely without risking danger to yourself or others on the road. So, how do you know when it’s ok vs. when it isn’t? That’s what we’re discussing in today’s blog. Keep reading to learn when you shouldn’t drive your car after getting in a car accident. Is Anyone Injured? If the accident was bad enough to injure someone, it’s not a good idea to drive your vehicle. Even if your car appears to be okay, there could be hidden damage that doesn’t show until later. Keeping your car off the road is your best bet until an auto body shop examines it. Are Your Lights Working? While your lights might seem minor, they’re critical. You should not drive your vehicle if your headlights, high beams, tail lights, brake lights, or turn signals aren’t working. Even if your commute is short or you only drive during the daytime, you still need working lights. Driving without working lights is illegal, so you risk a ticket if you move anyway. Are Your Mirrors Missing or Broken? It’s legally required to have two working mirrors on your car. Without those mirrors, you have an exponentially higher risk of getting in another accident. Your side mirrors are most important, but your rearview mirror matters, too. Don’t drive your car if you’re missing any of those three mirrors. Are There Leaking Fluids? Any type of leaking fluid is a bad sign. If your coolant leaks, your car could overheat, irreparably damaging it. If your oil is leaking, you could destroy your engine. If gas is leaking, your vehicle could go up in flames. If your brake oil is leaking, you might not be able to properly brake, which could cause another accident. As you can see, any type of leaking fluid could wreak havoc on your vehicle. Is your commute only five minutes? That’s still long enough for significant damage to you and your vehicle. Trust us; it’s not worth it! Are Your Wheels Bent or Broken? At first glance, it’s easy to see if your wheels or axles are bent or broken. They won’t look how they should, even if you’re inexperienced with cars. However, keep in mind that your wheels and axles might look fine at first glance but could still be damaged. Sometimes, when you move your car, the damage shows itself. Stop driving if you feel like your vehicle is pulling or if something just feels off. Bent or broken wheels are dangerous, making it important not to drive your vehicle, not even to the repair shop. Have your car towed to the repair shop to prevent further damage and keep everyone safe. Is Your Hood Latching? Your hood has a latch that keeps it secure while you’re driving. Without that latch, nothing is keeping your hood down. It could fly up at any time, completely blocking your view, which is likely to cause another accident. Make-do solutions aren’t good enough in this scenario. Even duct-taping your hood down isn’t foolproof. If your hood isn’t latching, have it towed to the repair shop. Is There Broken Glass? In and of itself, broken glass doesn’t mean your car isn’t safe to drive unless there’s broken glass all over your vehicle. Then it isn’t even safe to sit in your car, much less drive it. A busted windshield could mean your vehicle is not safe to drive. Keep in mind that this is different from a cracked windshield. Cracked windshields are usually only broken in one or two places. A busted windshield means it’s shattered, most likely obstructing your vision. Can You Steer? It’s not uncommon for your car’s steering ability to be compromised after an accident. Accidents can wreak havoc on your car’s alignment, which will cause steering issues. Difficulty steering could cause you to veer into another lane. Test your car before you take it out on the road to ensure you can properly steer. Flickinger, Sutterfield & Boulton Can Help. Were you recently in a car accident? We understand how traumatic and unsettling an accident can be. We hope your car is safe to drive, but if it isn’t, we hope it gets repaired quickly. On the other hand, you’re likely dealing with insurance claims and other legalities, like who was at fault and whether you’re entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. That’s where we come in. Flickinger, Sutterfield & Boulton is here to help you get the money you deserve. We have 150 years of combined experience, giving us the expertise to get you everything you deserve. We’ll fight for you every step of the way. We offer free case evaluations, where we’ll discuss your car accident and determine how we can best help you. We have Orem, Provo, South Jordan, and West Jordan offices. You can call us at 801.921.8360 or contact us via the form on our website. Let Flickinger, Sutterfield & Boulton represent you today!
Identifying and Avoiding Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
As Utah’s population grows, we must commit to avoiding road rage and aggressive driving from others and keeping our cool if we experience it. More drivers on the road mean slower commutes and more potential for aggression. Without greater intention to avoid emotional responses, this leaves us all at greater risk of an accident. “Road rage” is a term that was coined in the 1990s by a television news station in response to several incidents of freeway shootings. Many have expanded the term to encompass all forms of aggressive driving. However, while both aggressive driving and road rage are dangerous, there are differences between the two. Utah motorists should be aware of what aggressive driving and road rage are, the extent of the problem of these behaviors, and how to avoid aggressive drivers and prevent auto accidents. What is the Difference Between Road Rage and Aggressive Driving? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s definition of aggressive driving is “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” While this behavior is dangerous, it’s not intentionally putting others at risk. Some examples of aggressive driving include speeding, sudden and unsignaled lane changes, following other vehicles too closely, driving too fast for the road conditions, ignoring traffic control signals, frequently honking car horns, flashing headlights, and improperly passing other vehicles. Road rage is a criminal offense, unlike aggressive driving, which is a traffic offense. According to the NHTSA, road rage is when a driver commits “moving traffic offenses to endanger other persons or property; an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of one motor vehicle on the operator or passengers of another motor vehicle.” The difference between road rage and aggressive driving is that a driver committing an act of road rage specifically intends to harm another, while an aggressive driver is putting others on the road at risk of harm but not targeting another driver specifically. How Big of a Problem are Road Rage and Aggressive Driving? Aggressive driving and road rage are serious problems. According to NHTSA and Auto Vantage auto club data, 66% of traffic fatalities are attributable to aggressive driving. This data also shows that 37% of all road rage incidents involve firearms. Utah has seen a trend of increased aggressive driving behaviors in 2021 and 2022. This includes behaviors like excessive speed, wrong-way driving, and brandishing weapons. The Utah Highway Patrol says this helps explain record numbers of highway fatalities in Utah and the nation overall. They suspect one reason for this is that during the pandemic, highway traffic decreased, making commutes much faster. As traffic levels have returned to normal and brought back congestion, it has created a situation of impatience and risky maneuvers. How Can People Avoid Aggressive Drivers? People can take some steps to help protect themselves from aggressive drivers and prevent road rage incidents, including: Maintain 360-degree awareness of vehicles around you Remember good defensive driving rules Lock vehicle doors while you drive Keep a reasonable following distance from the car ahead of you People who cannot control their anger while driving put everyone on the road in danger, and their behavior causes auto accidents. Your best bet is to keep your distance from these drivers So their terrible day doesn’t ruin yours. Governing our Emotional Responses When we Drive Aggressive driving often begets aggression in response, leading to further danger of auto accidents. Half of the drivers surveyed replied that when they are victims of aggressive driving, they respond with their own aggressive actions. While you may be a perfectly polite and calm driver most of the time, it’s only human to feel anger when someone else puts us in danger by careless and aggressive actions. We can’t control what other drivers will do, but we can control how we respond. And this may be the difference between a collision and a close call. Avoiding road rage and aggressive driving is all our responsibility. If you respond to aggression with aggression and an accident results from your actions, you’ll likely be held at least partially liable for damages and subject to legal action. This may result in a charge of reckless driving – a class B misdemeanor in Utah. You could face up to six months in jail, $1,000 in fines, and/or a three-month driving suspension. When someone cuts you off, you’ll never even the score by driving aggressively in response. You’ll only be putting your own safety at risk. If you do encounter aggressive drivers, here are a few responses to aggression that will be more productive: Avoid reacting to aggressive behaviors in manners that could be seen as threatening, such as braking suddenly, honking the horn, or using obscene gestures Increase the distance between you and the other driver Take down their license plate number (if you can safely) and report the dangerous activity If an aggressive driver follows you, drive to a police station for help Use breathing exercises to reduce aggressive feelings Continue driving defensively Injured in a Car accident? Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Can Help Of course, avoiding road rage and aggressive driving is ideal, but these things can’t always be avoided. If you have been in an auto accident involving aggressive driving or road rage, the anxiety, fear, and frustration can be overwhelming even months and years after the accident. You don’t have to go through this alone. Having competent legal counsel during this time can help you recover financially, allowing you to focus on physical and emotional healing. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton has the experience to help you get the best possible outcome. We know Utah’s legal landscape; we are familiar with the system’s intricacies that will influence your case’s outcome. Contact us as soon as possible after your accident so we can help you get things moving in your favor. Even if you think the facts are clear-cut, you may need to fight for what
3 Tips on Teen Driving Safety
As your teenagers get old enough to drive, discussing teen driving safety is just as important as taking them to get their learner’s permits. Did you know that over 2,000 drivers have been killed in car crashes involving teen drivers in recent years? Educating your teen on safe driving can reduce that number, making the roadways safer for everyone. In today’s blog, we’re discussing teen driving safety, including how you can make the roadways safer for your teen and everyone involved. We’re explaining how the graduated driver licensing system works and providing you with three tips on teen driving safety. Keep reading to learn more! The Graduated Driver Licensing System An excited, newly-minted licensed driver is a huge risk on the road. The teenage brain hasn’t fully matured. Because of this, it’s essential to set boundaries for your teens. Allowing them to drive themselves to school every day is a great place to start. But letting them take the highway several towns over might be too much freedom too quickly. After all, your teen is still learning how to drive. It will take a decent amount of driving for your teen to gain experience and become a skilled driver. Issues like speeding, forgetting laws and making mistakes, and distracted driving make your teen a roadway hazard. Thankfully, every state in the United States recognizes this. A graduated driver licensing system is in place across the country to keep roads safer for everyone. Every state is a little different, but they all have laws regarding when you can get your permit, how long you need it for before you can get your license, what time of day you can drive, and how many passengers you can have during your first year on the road. Most states have three stages for teens to go through before driving without restrictions. Learner stage; where your teen learns to drive with an adult in the car. Your teen passes the learner’s stage when they pass their driver’s test. Intermediate stage; where your teen has their license, but they aren’t allowed to drive on their own in high-risk situations. Full privilege stage; where your teen has a standard driver’s license. The intermediate stage of driving typically comes with the following restrictions: No cell phone use except to call 911 in an emergency Restricted driving hours Passenger restrictions These laws are designed to protect your teen and other drivers on the road. For example, it’s harder to see at night, so limiting their driving during these hours will reduce the number of accidents that happen. But even with the safety precautions already in place, it’s essential to talk to your teen about safe driving. Here are some tips to help your teen drive safely after earning that prized license. Influence your teen. You can positively influence your teen by sharing your own experiences. Were you in an accident when you were their age? Could you have been a safer driver? Knowing that you weren’t perfect and so you want them to be careful to avoid your mistakes will help your teen understand how important it is for them to be careful. Remember that actions speak louder than words. When driving with your teen in the car, do so without any alcohol in your system, even if it’s been a long day. Don’t speed or demonstrate signs of road rage. Keep cell phone use limited to emergencies, and keep your eyes on the road while you’re driving. Set rules, rewards, and consequences for your teen. Set rules for your teen to follow when they’re on the road. Install an app on their phone that allows you to track their driving. Reward your teen for good driving, but set consequences for breaking the rules. For example, if your teen follows the rules all week, you might let them have the family car for an extra hour on the weekend. But your teen could lose driving privileges one weekend if they speed or drive home past curfew. Setting rules, rewards, and consequences for your teen will encourage good driving behaviors and discourage them from breaking the rules. What rules should you set? Here are some ideas: No driving after drug or alcohol use No eating or drinking while driving No music or music kept at a low to moderate volume No driving without a seat belt No driving when emotional (tired, angry, upset, etc.) No talking on the phone, even if it’s hands-free, unless the car is in park No hitchhiking Limit passengers. Did you know that your teen is two-and-a-half times more likely to drive while distracted if they have more than one passenger in the car? This risk goes down dramatically with one other person in the car, and even further down if they drive without passengers. As it turns out, not having passengers greatly reduces distractions. Just because the law states that your teen can drive with another passenger doesn’t mean you have to let them. You could make it a rule that they need to drive independently without getting into an accident for a set amount of time before you allow them to drive with a passenger. They might not like you for it, but it will keep them safe. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Can Help Was your teen involved in a car crash? Were you involved in a collision with a teenage driver? It’s a traumatic, stressful experience to go through. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing it, especially in a situation involving teenagers. The risk of injury and car repairs is more significant with the increased dangers of teenage driving. The good news is that Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can help you through this difficult time. Located in Northern Utah, Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton has been representing clients for over 25 years. We’re experts at what we do, so you can trust us to take care of your personal injury case. Contact us today to set up a free case evaluation to see
Distracted Driving is More Than Just Texting and Driving
While texting and driving is dangerous, it isn’t the only form of distraction that threatens the lives of drivers and those on the road with them. Many drivers in Utah wrongly believe that they become distracted only when they read or send text messages to another person as they operate a vehicle. There are three types of distractions that we deal with while we’re driving. To be safe on the road, we need to avoid these distractions actively. In today’s blog, we’re discussing these distractions and how to avoid them so we can all be better drivers! Keep reading to learn more. The Three Types of Distraction According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are three primary types of distraction: manual, cognitive, and visual. Around 3,000 people die every year at the hand of distracted drivers paying more attention to something other than the road. Let’s take a closer look at these kinds of distractions. Manual A manual distraction involves you taking your hands off the steering wheel. Even if you keep your eyes on the road, you’re still distracted because your sole focus is not on the road. Do you keep your phone in your cup holder? Reaching for it is a distraction. So is getting your sunglasses from your purse if the sun comes out from behind a cloud. It would be difficult to avoid manual distractions entirely, but we can take steps to minimize these distractions. For example, you can enable the sound on your GPS so you don’t look down at your phone. Many GPS apps will tell you when a turn is coming up about one-quarter of a mile in advance so you can anticipate it without needing to look down. As another example, put your sunglasses on your head so you can flip them down when the sun comes out. Your distractions will last for a split second, significantly reducing your risk of getting into a crash. Cognitive Cognitive distractions happen in your mind. You could have your eyes on the road, but your brain could be somewhere else. Are you worried about a test coming up and trying to remember which president said a famous quote? That’s a cognitive distraction. Are you jamming out to your favorite song, maybe dancing a little in your seat while you sing along? We’ve all done it! It’s yet another form of cognitive distraction. Any time your mind isn’t solely focused on the road, you’re distracted. Visual Visual distractions involve taking your eyes off the road, even if only for a second. It also involves looking at things other than the road. If a deer is crossing the street, that’s a visual distraction. So is avoiding the mattress that fell out of the back of a truck on the highway! What You Can’t Use Your Phone For It’s impossible to avoid distractions while you’re driving entirely. You could be manually and visually distracted at the same time. Instead of trying to prevent these distractions, work to minimize them. The less you’re distracted, the better! The state of Utah recognizes how dangerous distracted driving can be. That’s why laws have become stricter in recent years, to keep drivers safer. It’s illegal to dial a phone number, browse the internet, or take photos if you’re driving. Simply put, you can’t casually use your phone for entertainment while driving. It poses too great a risk to other drivers. What You Can Use Your Phone For However, you can use your phone for some purposes while driving, even though it causes distractions. The exceptions that Utah allows are for the following reasons: Using voice communication to make a phone call, send a text, play music, etc. To look at a map or use GPS. To respond to a medical emergency. To report or handle a safety hazard. To report criminal activity. To do one’s job as a law enforcement officer. Now, it’s important to understand that just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you should do it all the time. Hands-free systems are much better than looking down at your phone, but they are still a distraction. Penalties for Disobeying Distracted Driving Laws There are penalties if you’re caught using your phone for a reason not permitted by law. First-time offenders will be guilty of a class C misdemeanor and must pay a $100 fine. If your distracted driving causes severe bodily injury to another person, the misdemeanor goes up to a class B. Repeated offenses within three years are also class B misdemeanor offenses. Simply put, unnecessary distracted driving is against the law and comes with penalties. By keeping the law while driving, you’ll be keeping yourself and others as safe as possible. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Driving will always come with risks, no matter how careful you are. It’s impossible never to be distracted behind the wheel, but it is possible to minimize distractions and focus as best you can. That means eliminating texting and driving. If you become cognitively, manually, or visually distracted, you compromise your ability to drive a vehicle safely. This is just as true for other drivers as it is for you. Were you injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver? You may be entitled to compensation for the accident, especially if your vehicle needs repair or you were injured. We recommend consulting with an attorney who can help you understand your legal rights. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton represents personal injury victims who were wrongfully injured. We have over 25 years of experience. We are the experts you need to guide you through the process and get you the compensation you deserve. We serve the greater Salt Lake and Utah County areas, including Salt Lake City, West Jordan, South Jordan, Provo, and Orem. We offer free case evaluations where we review your case and determine how we can best help you. To get started, contact us today. We’ll be happy to get you started!
What Happens if You’re Uninsured in Utah?
Utah is a no-fault state, so what happens when an uninsured driver is in an accident? Being uninsured is against the law, but being in a no-fault state changes the process. Today’s blog is all about explaining what happens. Stay tuned to learn everything you need to know about the penalties and consequences for uninsured drivers in Utah. Utah is a No-Fault State When it comes to car accidents, Utah is a no-fault state. This basically means that neither driver’s insurance is expected to compensate the other for car repairs or medical costs regardless of who is at fault. Instead, each driver must have personal injury protection coverage. That coverage is what will pay for car repairs and medical bills. In at-fault states, the driver responsible for the crash pays for car repairs and medical costs through their insurance. If both drivers split the fault, they each pay for a percentage of their expenses. In no-fault states, you’ll have liability coverage in case you get sued and personal injury protection for yourself. It works, but sadly, if you get into an accident, your premium will likely go up, even if the accident wasn’t your fault. Required Coverage for Utah Drivers All Utah residents must have a certain amount of coverage to follow the law. You have 90 days to ensure your insurance meets the minimum requirements if you’re new to Utah. Utah isn’t the only no-fault state, but each state has its own coverage requirements. In Utah, you require the following: Liability Coverage Liability insurance is necessary in case you get sued. In many cases, your insurance will simply cover your repairs and costs through your personal injury protection. But in some circumstances, you’ll be legally obligated to pay bodily injury or property damage costs. Getting sued is one of the times when liability coverage will come in handy. You’ll need: $25,000 for bodily injury per person. $65,000 for bodily injury per accident. $15,000 for property damage per accident. Personal Injury Protection Personal Injury Protection, often abbreviated to PIP, covers you, not the other driver. If you suffer an injury from a car accident, you can use your PIP to cover your expenses. You can also use PIP for your car repairs. You’ll need $3,000 per driver. These are the coverage minimums, but you can opt for higher coverage to reduce your risk of having out-of-pocket expenses. However, the higher the coverage you opt for, the more you’ll pay for your premium. But having fewer unexpected, out-of-pocket expenses might be worth it for your peace of mind. Leased or Financed Cars While those are the state’s requirements for insurance, you might have additional requirements to meet through the terms of your lease or financing if you obtained your car through a dealership. The terms of your contract will state what coverages you’re required to have. If you bought your car outright from a private seller, you don’t need to worry about having additional coverage. What Happens if You’re Uninsured? So, what happens if you don’t meet the minimum requirements? Being an uninsured driver comes with penalties, just like any other crime. If you get pulled over or get into an accident, you’ll be in trouble. Being uninsured is a Class B misdemeanor that carries the following penalties: You’ll pay a miminum $400 fine for your first offense and up to $1,000 in fines for additional violations in a three-year span. Your license will be suspended until you get insurance. You must file for an SR-22 certificate to prove you meet the minimum insurance requirements. Your vehicle’s registration might be suspended. You’ll have to pay $100 to have your license reinstated. Once your license is reinstated, you’ll be placed on a three-year probationary period. During this time, you must carry the minimum coverage on your car, or you’ll be required to surrender your license. While your car insurance problems might end, having a Class B misdemeanor on your record is permanent. It could cause problems down the road for reasons unrelated to driving. Additionally, you’ll be labeled a high-risk driver, which means some car insurance companies might refuse to cover you. Utah’s Partnership with Insure-Rite While getting pulled over or getting into an accident are the most common ways you’ll get found out for not having insurance, there is another way. Utah is partnered with Insure-Right. Insure-Right collects information from Utah insurance companies and matches those customers with DMV records. If your car insurance policy isn’t matched, you’ll receive a notice. You’ll have to prove that you’re insured to retain your driver’s license, and you’ll pay a $100 fine for not being properly insured. In some cases, you may receive this notice when you have insurance. Computer systems aren’t perfect, and sometimes mistakes are made. If this happens to you, you’ll still need to provide proof of insurance. That proof will clear you of any issues, and you won’t need to pay the $100 reinstatement fee since you were insured all along. While this is a major inconvenience for any Utah driver, Insure-Right still does a great job keeping uninsured drivers off the road, thus keeping our roadways safer. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Were you in an accident with an uninsured driver? Are your medical bills adding up? Is your personal injury protection falling short? We understand that this can be a stressful, overwhelming experience. But we’re here to help. If you’re facing high out-of-pocket expenses and aren’t sure what to do, contact the attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton. You might need to sue the other driver to get your expenses covered. It’s a complicated process that we’ve gone through for our clients time and again. With over 25 years of experience, we’re equipped to fight for you and get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for your free case evaluation.
Do I Need to Call My Insurance Company if the Car Accident Wasn’t My Fault?
Getting into a car accident is a horrible, often traumatic, experience. You don’t plan for it, but there’s a lot to do once it’s happened. You’ll need to call the police and request a copy of the report they fill out. You’ll exchange driver’s license and insurance information with the other driver(s) involved in the crash. You’ll need to seek medical attention to assess whether you have injuries. It’s a lot to handle right after a traumatic experience. But after all that is over, there’s still more to do. What you need to do depends on whose fault it was. Of course, if you caused the accident, you’ll need to report it to your insurance company. But what if you’re the victim? What if you didn’t cause the accident? Do you still need to report the car accident to your insurance company? That’s the question we’re answering in today’s blog. The truth is, the answer is complicated. The rules for your state determine what actions you’ll take regardless of whether the accident was your fault. States are divided into at-fault and no-fault states. There are specific rules for each type of fault. Let’s look at the differences between at-fault and no-fault states and how these states work. At-Fault States Living in an at-fault state makes the at-fault driver responsible for the other person’s vehicle repairs and injuries. But it isn’t always black and white. Sometimes, both drivers are partially responsible for the accident. Both drivers’ insurance companies will work together to determine who is at fault. Who Is At Fault? Often, percentages determine the fault. For example, say you were a little at fault, but the other driver was more at fault than you. The insurance company might assign 70/30 responsibility, meaning that you were 30% responsible for the accident. In this case, you’ll pay for 30% of the other driver’s repairs and injuries. Their 70% responsibility means they’ll cover 70% of your repairs and injuries. Your insurance companies will cover those fees. Of course, the more money they spend covering your accident, the more they’ll charge you to continue covering you. Switching insurance companies won’t resolve the problem, either. Usually, a new insurance company will charge you even more because they see you as a liability. Having insurance is necessary to drive a car, but it’s not fun when you get into an accident. If You Weren’t At Fault If you weren’t at fault for the accident, you don’t need to call your insurance company. For example, say you were making a left-hand turn and had a protected green arrow. But then the other driver T-boned you in the middle of the intersection as they ran through their red light. You were clearly not at fault for that accident. Do I Call My Insurance? Remember, whether you need to call your insurance company in an at-fault state is entirely dependent on whether you were at fault in the accident. The other driver will often contact your insurance company to report the accident if they think you were responsible. The less responsibility they have, the less they pay. Your insurance company will then investigate the accident and determine whether you had any fault. If you didn’t, your insurance premium wouldn’t go up. No-Fault States No-fault car accident states work very differently. It doesn’t matter who was at fault. If you’re in an accident, you’ll file a claim with your insurance company, and they’ll pay for the cost of your repair and any injuries you may have, to an extent. Your policy will determine how much your insurance company will pay. Car insurance companies in no-fault states protect themselves by requiring certain coverage levels for everyone they insure. The bad news is that the repairs or injuries that exceed your coverage will come out of your pocket unless you qualify for a type of comparative negligence. Comparative Negligence There are different kinds of comparative negligence. Which one applies to you depends on the state in which you live. Pure Comparative Negligence Pure comparative negligence means that you are entitled to compensation, even if it’s only a tiny percentage. If you were responsible for 90% of the accident, you’re entitled to 10% of your repair costs covered by the other driver’s insurance company. Modified Comparative Negligence This kind of comparative negligence isn’t as broad. If you were responsible for the accident above a certain percentage, you aren’t eligible for any compensation. That percentage depends on your state’s laws. Slight/Gross Negligence Instead of working with percentages, this law uses “slight” negligence and “gross” negligence to determine if you receive compensation for the accident. If you were only slightly at fault, you’d be compensated. But if you were grossly negligent, you won’t receive anything. Again, your state law will determine what constitutes slight vs. gross negligence. Are you unsure of whether your state is at-fault or no-fault? We recommend calling your insurance company or looking at your policy in close detail. Not only does each state have its own laws, but they change over time, and insurance companies adjust their policies accordingly. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton Were you in a car accident? The attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton have worked hard for over 25 years to help individuals just like you. We understand the trauma and pain that often come with car accidents. Let us take the burden off you by helping you resolve your car accident claims. If you were injured in an accident, you might be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. We’ll fight for you to get you everything you deserve. If you’ve been in a car accident and don’t know what to do, call Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton. We serve the greater Salt Lake and Provo county areas. We provide free case evaluations and would be happy to work with you. Contact us today!