Highways and freeways have increasingly become more sophisticated but crowded. Travelling at high speeds, many vehicles change lanes more often that merger accidents have turned more prevalent.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found merging and lane changing accidents make up 9%of all motor accidents. This equates to about 533,000 vehicular mishaps due to merging accidents.
While nobody would want to be involved in one, it is a welcome thought that damages caused by such auto crashes may be compensated by insurance if you file a claim against someone who merged into you. If this occurs, the information provided hereunder should be noted.
What Damages You Acquired Based on the Crash
In cases where there is no injury sustained, damage to the car is the prime concern when claiming from insurers. The first thing to do is to have the damages to the vehicle inspected and estimated.
It is important to check with the insurer if they have affiliate repair shops for cases like this. It is normally their trained inspectors who handle damages while others allow the owner of the vehicle to initiate the auto repair and simply reimburse expenses.
The cost of the repair must be estimated accurately. It would be wise to have your own estimate made by an independent repair shot to allow you room for negotiation in case the insurance company will try to bring down the costs.
Some of the most common repairs needed in incidents involving lane merger accidents include the following:
- Repaint of the side of the car that has been scratched;
- Replacement of side mirrors;
- Repair of dents on the car doors;
- Window replacements in case it due to the crash;
- Car door alignment, etc.
To Find out more about how to determine personal injury damages, click here.
Prove the Other Party’s Fault
Merging accidents can transpire in a number of ways, such as, misjudged space, changing lanes, presence of access ramp, car entering a road from yield, merging at the end of the lane or simply striking another car. In case you are involved in such kind of accident due to the other driver’s fault, it is important to prove this to the insurance company.
Though it may be obvious to you that the other party is liable, without evidence, you might have a hard time proving your claim. Normally, the driver who enters a lane and hits another vehicle while in a moving traffic is rendered at fault.
It does not matter what caused the other driver to hit you. However, you should be able to show this.
Sometimes, the position of the cars after the accident shows clearly who is at fault. It is therefore important to take photos of all angles of the vehicles. The police report would also be useful to your claim as police officers are experts in determining liability.
Statements from witnesses would also be a big help, as well as videos taken by CCTVs in the area of the accidents. If you can provide all these, you are likely to win your case when filing a claim against someone who merged into you.
Avail of a Personal Injury Attorney’s Help Now
Given that various statutes are applied in the different states and insurance companies can prove difficult to deal with, it is best to avail the help of a personal injury attorney. He will not only know exactly what to do but be able to prepare all documentary evidence to ensure that all damages will be compensated by the other party’s insurer. To find out if you have a claim, take our Free Case Evaluation.
