What Are My Rights After A Car Accident?
After a car collision, various factors can threaten your legal rights. It’s crucial to protect your rights, especially if a negligent driver caused the accident; otherwise, you might miss out on the compensation you’re legally entitled to receive. Discover more information on negligence below. What is a Negligent Driver? Every individual on the road has a duty of care to avoid injuring other drivers, motorists, and pedestrians. When a driver is negligent, it means they have behaved in a careless manner, which has caused harm or injury to another person. A driver might be found negligent if they harm someone by doing an illegal act, such as speeding near a school zone or running a red light. Here is a list of actions you need to take to secure your rights following an accident. Put Yourself First After an accident, an at-fault driver may try to persuade you not to call the police and tell you that you can both resolve the aftermath without involving other parties. However, drivers who are opposed to police involvement are generally guilty. For instance, they may be underinsured, have an expired driver’s license, or have similar infractions on their record that they don’t want police digging up. Your main priority should be protecting your rights after an accident by contacting the police, even if the other driver urges you to avoid it. Besides, in many states, you’re legally required to involve them after a collision. Once you report the accident, an officer will create an accident report detailing the events, which creates a paper trail of the events. Keep in mind that you will need this report if you proceed to file a personal injury claim for damages. Capture Photographic Proof Use your phone’s camera to take pictures of the following: Vehicle damage The scene of the accident, including the locations of vehicles involved, nearby landmarks, and every detail of the accident Your injuries, as well as your passenger’s injuries Ensure you can easily reference the date you took these photos. Although most people own a phone with a camera, there’s a possibility it can run out of battery when you need it most. If this happens to you, ask witnesses to take pictures and to send them to you. Jot Down Everything We recommend you keep a notebook of everything about the accident. Take notes on the following: The full names and contact information of all parties involved in the accident, including passengers Every conversation you have with the other driver or their insurance company. Include the dates and times of every conversation The state of your injuries, including how your pain improves or progresses over time Anything else that comes to mind that may impact your claim. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton is Here for You Car accidents are never easy to cope with, and mentally and physically recovering can take months. Sadly, remembering your rights while you’re in a state of shock can be difficult. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can help you receive damages from the negligent driver. We have offices in Utah County and West Jordan. Schedule your free case evaluation today.