Vehicle Collisions and The Steps You Should Take

Vehicle related accidents are by far the largest type of serious personal injury cases in the California court system. In fact a team of experienced car accident attorneys Riverside are kept extremely busy because of it. Riverside County has its fair share of tourism and this increase in traffic, plus the large quantities of families moving here, means that the highways and roads surrounding the county are becoming congested. In fact according to the website 'City Data' there are on average around 29 vehicle related deaths in and around the county alone, each and every year.

Of course not all vehicle related accidents ends with a fatality, and many of these are down to driver negligence. However quite often when you have been involved in a vehicle related accident it is understandable that you may be a little traumatised. So much may well be going on around you that you simply might not know what to do. With this in mind, here are some important steps that you need to take. A Riverside County car accident lawyer explains...

Stop!

The very first thing that you need to do when involved in a collision with another vehicle no matter how trivial you think it is, is to stop. If you don't stop, then there is a chance that you may be convicted of the serious issue of 'hit and run'. Others may also need urgent medical assistance.

Show evidence that you are covered, but...

Proving that you are covered financially by your insurance company is important and you will also need to show evidence of your driver's licence, address details and your registration card. You may or may not know that if you are unable to show evidence of your financial responsibilities (namely your insurance details and your policy number) then you are likely to receive a citation and a fine of $250 if you don't have it to hand. There is just one final important thing... Never, ever admit liability! You may have to give interviews to the police or to the insurance broker who turns up on the scene, but simply give them the facts. Tell it like you saw it, but don't admit liability. By saying the wrong thing, it could land you in a whole world of trouble.

Call a legal representative

After you have sought medical advice, then you should also seek legal advice, especially if you believe the negligence lies with the other party. A skilled team of Riverside car accident attorneys will operate a no obligation, no charge consultation, in which you can get any queries or questions answered, whilst at the same time a lawyer can explain what rights you have. A good team of attorneys will not pressurize you into taking on their services. On the contrary, they will simply tell you the facts and then let you decide as to whether or not you need representation.

Insurance company or legal representative?

It is important to note that you are not obliged to contact an attorney as getting the insurance company to do the work will clearly be the cheaper option. However you have to remember that an insurance company is not on your side as they are looking to make the minimum amount of payment possible. They will take into account medical expenses and the cost of repairs or cost of a replacement vehicle, however it may be that once payment has been made, you may feel that you have not been sufficiently compensated for what happened. A team of skilled Riverside car accident attorneys on the other hand will be working for you and their aim is to achieve maximum compensation for their clients, so on top of the obvious medical expenses and the replacement of property damage, they may also be able to claim for ongoing rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering caused, and in some cases may also be able to claim for punitive damages, which are filed directly against the negligent party.

SR1 form

Whoever you decide to represent you, your attorney or your insurance broker will have to complete an SR1 form. This has to be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within the time frame of ten days if someone has been killed or injured (no matter how slightly), or if any damage is over $750, therefore speed is of the essence. The SR1 is important and is required, in addition to any other insurance report or police report.

As you can see, there is a whole lot to think about when you are involved in an accident. If you call upon the services of a skilled team of car accident lawyers Riverside they will see to it that the right action is taken in order to file a claim. They will take the pressure off you so that you can concentrate on recuperating and trying to move on with your life.