Hi, my name is Kirsten Krueger and two years ago, I was in a car accident. I was stopped at a stop sign when the driver behind me slammed into my car. Due to my injuries, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and I was unable to work for two months. My medical care was expensive and without being able to work, I couldn't pay my bills. The car accident was stressful enough and then I had to worry about how I would pay my bills. After speaking with a car accident lawyer, it wasn't long before I was compensated for my medical bills and lost wages from work. I'm writing this blog to help others who have been a car accident and haven't received any compensation. As you read my posts, you'll learn how an attorney can help you if you're in a vehicle accident.
In many cases, proving fault after a car accident will have a huge impact on the likelihood that you receive compensation, as well as the amount that you receive. Even if it seems obvious to you that the other driver was at fault, it probably won't be so obvious to the court. Here are a few tips that can help you prove fault and win a car accident case.
Get the Police Report
The investigating officer at the scene of your accident will always create a police report detailing the time and location of the accident, the identifying information of drivers and witnesses, the officer's opinion on the cause of the accident, and other useful information. The officer will usually give you a receipt with the identifying number of the police report for your accident, allowing you to get a copy of the report from your local law enforcement agency for a small fee.
If you are unable to pay the fee to get your police report, you may be able to avoid it by contacting your insurance company's claims representative. The claims representative will sometimes request the report and provide it to you for no cost. If your insurance company doesn't have a copy of the report, paying the fee to get a copy yourself can be a worthwhile investment that provides strong evidence that you were not at fault.
Special Case Collisions
The location of the damage to your vehicle or the other driver's vehicle will tell the court and the investigating officer a lot about the type of collision that occurred. If it is obvious that your vehicle was rear-ended, it is likely that you will not be held at fault since you were probably not the driver that caused the collision. In rare cases, such as if your tail lights are out or you reversed at a red light, you may be found to be at least partially at fault.
Another example of a special case collision is when one driver was turning left through an intersection. The driver that is going straight through an intersection has the right-of-way, so the turning vehicle must have pulled in front at the wrong time. These examples show that documenting the damage to the vehicles involved in the accident can be a great way to show that you weren't at fault.
Understanding the factors involved in proving fault will help you maximize your chances of winning your case and receiving the compensation you deserve. Click to find out more.
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