Some drivers treat a yellow light as the time to step harder on the gas pedal. Unfortunately, you experienced this fact of life recently when a car hit your vehicle at an intersection. The damage to your car included a large indentation of the driver’s side of the car, as well as a collapsed hood that smacked into the heating and cooling system.
If you have experienced a car accident that involved another driver hitting you at an intersection, the first thing you want to do is make sure you and any passengers are not hurt.
After doing that, you need to check on the condition of your vehicle, and then immediately contact your auto insurance company for assistance. The phone call to your insurer starts a process that eventually determines which driver was at fault for causing the accident at an intersection.
Insurance Companies and Proving Fault
Make no mistake: Auto insurance companies are in the business to make money, not hand out cash to customers that go through the accident claims process. To make money, your auto insurance company has to demonstrate that you were at fault for causing the accident.
If your insurer can prove you were the reason for the crash, then the company might be able to pass off the costs of the crash entirely on you. The legal language written into your car insurance policy should clearly describe how fault is handled for car accidents.
If your insurer determines you were at fault for causing a vehicle crash, the company can deny all benefits associated with paying out auto insurance claims. What types of evidence can hurt your insurance claim the most.
Receiving a traffic violation for an action that happened before the crash is a powerful piece of evidence in your insurance company’s favor. In addition, your insurer might decide you were at fault based on the information written into the official police report.
ou Have to Prove Negligence
The say accidents can happen, and when it comes to a vehicle accident, there is the possibility that neither driver should assume responsibility for the crash. However, fault comes into play for a majority of auto accident cases. To prove the other driver was negligent and thus, at fault for the car crash, you need to gather evidence to strengthen your auto insurance claim.
Although a police report can be used against you, it also can be the most important piece of evidence that shows the other driver was responsible for the accident at an intersection. One of the first things to do after a car crash is to call 911 to send a law enforcement officer to the scene of the accident.
An official police report will detail everything that went on before, during, and after the car accident. A copy of the official police report should be given to an experienced lawyer who litigates personal injury cases.
The Importance of Working with a Lawyer
Auto insurance companies employ more that a team of actuaries and investigators. The companies also employ a team of high-powered attorneys that know how to argue cases for their clients.
You cannot expect to dispute fault for an auto insurance claim, without the help of a highly rated lawyer who has compiled an impressive record of overturning fault decisions. Schedule a free initial consultation to today with a personal injury attorney.
