How to Handle Someone Else Running You Off the Road
by Jessica Spencer
When you get into a car accident, you usually wait for the other person to stop, and gather their information. This allows you to contact them and their insurance company about bodily injuries or vehicle damage. Unfortunately, if you are run off the road, the car is usually gone before you can take down their license plate, let alone get in contact with the driver. While this situation is more difficult, it is not impossible to get covered. Here are some tips for handling this type of accident.
Look for Witnesses
One of the best things you can do when you get into an accident due to a driver who doesn't stop is to have witnesses. If you either have witnesses in your car or other drivers that happened to stop following the accident, it can definitely help. When you get into the accident, if you can safely exit the vehicle, ask around if anyone saw the person run you off the road and if they got any characteristics of the vehicle. They might have noticed the make and model, color, or maybe even part of the license plate. This can be helpful for the police report and if you try to locate the driver to sue them for damages.
File a Police Report
Even if you barely saw anything and don't think you could locate the driver, file a police report. This is going to help if you have witness testimony and if you end up filing a claim with your insurance company. The insurance adjuster will see the police report and use that when deciding if your injuries and vehicle damage is covered. Tell the police everything you remember, such as what happened when the car forced you off the road, and how that caused your accident. Tell them anything you remember about the car or driver, no matter how miniscule the details seem.
Call Your Insurance Company
After any accident, you should contact your insurance company. Let them know you have been in an accident and give them details about what caused it. While it is difficult to get covered for an accident where you did not collide with another driver, you might be able to use the witnesses and police report to prove that you were not at fault for the accident. An insurance adjuster will look at the location and damage to decide if your claim is going to be approved and how much you get for the damages.
Get a Lawyer
It also helps to have a lawyer who specializes in vehicle accidents. The lawyer can use their resources to try and get you the benefits you deserve from your insurance company. If you are able to locate the driver based on your description or what the witnesses provided, you may also be able to sue them for damages.
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About Me
Hello, all. I am a volunteer worker at an outreach centre which helps people of all ages with financial problems. I have come to realise that many of these people face hardships due to life-changing incidents such as unfair dismissal, a workplace injury or a car accident. Many of them are hard workers who aren’t aware of their legal rights. Last year, our outreach centre brought a lawyer on board to provide legal advice and assistance. I help by scheduling appointments, taking notes and following up on each case. I have learnt an awful lot about our laws and am impressed how knowing the right legal avenues can change people’s lives. I have just started a legal assistant’s course and thought this blog might be a good place to record the knowledge I gain. I hope you find it useful and insightful. Thank you for stepping into my world.
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