Car accidents are extremely common, so if you drive regularly, you are likely going to experience a collision at some point in your life. If you are lucky, it will be a minor accident that does not cause much damage or injury. To determine who pays for the damages resulting from a car accident (physical costs to the car, financial losses from medical bills, and more), fault, aka liability, must be determined.
Generally speaking, car accidents are often caused by negligence. A driver who is not paying attention, behaving irresponsibly, or driving under the influence will be considered negligent. Occasionally, partial fault will be ruled in if both parties were driving irresponsibly (i.e., someone driving under the influence strikes someone who was speeding excessively). Sometimes, an insurance company will try to place fault on you incorrectly or unnecessarily. If this happens, there are several steps you should take right away:
- Notify the insurance company by phone and in writing. It will be crucial that you have a record of your dispute.
- Collect every piece of evidence from the scene of the accident. This includes any photos you took, the contact information of witnesses, the official accident report, and any medical records you may have obtained following treatment.
- Contact an attorney for representation. Dealing with insurance companies is complicated and challenging. It is not something that you should try to handle alone.
- Disclose everything to your attorney. It would be best if you told your attorney everything. If they do not have all of the information, they will not be able to protect you effectively. Do not hold something back, thinking it is irrelevant. Tell your attorney everything and allow them to determine which pieces of information they will or will not use.
If you are ruled at fault for an accident, it is not written in stone. We can fight back against unfair rulings, just call Karns & Karns right away. We can and have successfully disputed wrong liability decisions. We work diligently for justice and ensure that you are not blamed for anything you are not responsible for.
Don’t wait, and don’t accept blame you do not deserve.
