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Car accidents are one of those things that most people experience at least once in their lifetime. If you can go your entire life without being involved in an accident, that's a very big achievement! Still, if you drive every single day, there's always a chance you'll end up in some sort of accident at some point. They're never enjoyable to be part of, and there are actually loads of things you probably don't know about car accidents.
As you can see in the title, that's what we'll be discussing today! Consider this a life lesson, helping you understand all the things you didn't know about car accidents:
Someone always has to be at fault
The whole concept of an accident is that it happens by...well...accident! In the vast majority of cases, nobody will intentionally look to cause a car crash. It is typically something that happens because someone made a slight mistake or had a temporary lapse of judgment. As such, someone has to be assigned the 'fault' for the accident. In essence, they are the ones that caused the accident and made it happen.
Sometimes, fault can be easy to assign - if someone is drunk driving, they're instantly at fault. However, there are accidents where it seems like neither driver was really at fault for it. It just seemed to be an unfortunate incident, so do you agree that nobody is at fault? Unfortunately, if damages need to be paid for, someone always has to be at fault. This is genuinely a legal requirement, so you can't just agree nobody is at fault if you need to pay for repairs.
Yes, you do have no-fault states with slightly different rules. Still, in these states, both drivers are basically assigned the fault. They both have to pay out via their own insurance, so calling them 'no-fault states' is rather ironic! The bottom line is that, when there's an accident, someone will be at fault.
You can't always sue someone after an accident
When most people end up in car accidents, the first thing that rolls through their minds is money. If you are the victim, you want to get as much money from the perpetrator as possible. Especially if they stupidly caused the accident with reckless driving! So, gaining compensation from their insurance provider is the first step, and this can provide you with a decent bit of cash.
However, you may also be inclined to sue them for personal injuries if you're in a rough state. It sounds mean, but it's always worth doing this if you can. After all, why should you have to pay for medical bills after an accident that someone else caused?! Nevertheless, did you know that you can't always sue someone after an accident? In many states, there's a serious injury threshold that must be bet before you can take legal action in court. Effectively, you need to suffer from a serious enough injury to warrant taking it to court. This is an interesting point as hardly anyone is aware of this, assuming you can take legal action for any injury you face.
Saying sorry can put you at fault
Back to the topic of being at fault, you can really put your foot in it if you apologize to someone after an accident. What seems like a polite reflex can be used against you later down the line. Especially if you are caught on camera saying sorry to the other driver.
In essence, apologizing is an admission of fault. Someone can use this against you and say that you were clearly in the wrong because you apologized. In cases where the fault is up in the air, this can easily tip the scales in the other driver's favor. Even if you felt that they were at fault, the fact you said sorry shows that you had a guilty conscience and can be used to argue against you.
So, the moral of the story is to never apologize after an accident. Check that the other driver is okay and call for medical assistance if required, but don't say sorry. Even if you were at fault, avoid admitting to it at this early stage. You never know, things could end up working in your favor - maybe the other driver was on their phone at the time, so they are technically at fault, not you!
You legally need to stick around after a crash
Did you know that you legally have to stay at the scene of a crash when it has happened? Driving away can land you some criminal charges and possibly time in jail. Especially if someone has been injured in the accident - you could be charged with a hit and run.
You are obliged to stay at the scene and exchange details with the other party, so they can pass them on to their insurance provider. The same thing should be done on your end - always get the person's license plate, name, etc. Fail to do this, and you're playing an extremely risky game. If you leave the scene, the other party may memorize your license plate and you'll be in big trouble. If they leave the scene, and you don't remember their license plate, you have a high chance of not getting any compensation from this crash.
Insurance providers are not on your side
Despite how it may seem, car insurance providers aren't on your side following an accident. If you need to make insurance claims, they'll do everything in their power to block you. This is because they don't want to hand out money all the time, so they try to delay things or convince you to take a purely legal route.
Just keep that in mind if you're ever involved in a crash - don't expect your insurance provider to be of much help!
Auto accidents are never enjoyable experiences, but they're even worse when you don't know what to expect. Hopefully, your eyes have been opened to a few things that you didn't know about car accidents beforehand. Now, you can feel more prepared!
