When road travel goes wrong, drivers can overreact, make irrational decisions, and even act out in anger following a fender-bender. But you don’t need to panic if you’ve been involved in a rear-end accident. Here is what you should do instead if you’ve been affected by a rear end accident.
Why do rear end accidents happen?
Car accidents happen because drivers get distracted. Cell phone usage plays a major role. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 1 in 3 parents surveyed admitted to reading text messages while having a child in the vehicle.
Additionally, tailgating, drivers who stop and start for no reason, and aggressive drivers who make rapid lane changes without signaling cause rear end accidents as well. Other drivers who are at fault aren’t your responsibility. But when the liability may rest on you, there could be both a loss of money due to a fine or addition of points to your driving record.
What to do after a rear end accident
An insurance company may need to send you a payout for an accident. You could be at the auto body shop discussing repairs. You could be at the scene talking over the accident or in an attorney’s office going over how you’re going to get compensation. While rear end collisions are common, the injuries, damage, and costs of these accidents present financial outcomes we’ll fight to obtain for you.
Understand the likelihood of rear end accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) promotes safe road travel and the reduction of car-related injuries. According to the agency, 29% of all car accidents involve rear end collisions. Further research revealed 64% of rear end crashes are caused because a driver glanced away from the road for more than 2 seconds.
Explore patterns in your driving behavior
If you notice a pattern of rear end collisions throughout your driving history, this may be a sign that your driving behavior may require an adjustment. It’s worth doing a driver’s checkup on yourself every so often to determine that you’re not twitchy, distracted, hyperactive, or confused while driving. Either way, you should share information about your driving history with your lawyer as it will be useful in getting you compensation.
Stay calm at the scene of a rear end accident
For your personal records, you want to respond precisely and promptly to a rear end collision. You may want to have photographs of damage for your own records. Attorneys will have to plan and present a story of how you were injured or otherwise impacted by a rear end accident.
Hire an attorney if you’re worried about liability
You’d need a legal defense if there is an argument that you were the striking car and you were negligent in how you were driving. Still, you’d only be found liable if documentation and substantial evidence supported that theory. Either way, an experienced attorney can provide insight and action toward getting to the bottom of a rear-end collision.
There is no reason why anyone affected by a rear end accident should not seek compensation. If you’re a safe driver and not responsible for a crash, there’s a good chance you can benefit from legal assistance. Rear end accidents are among the most common kinds of accidents that are out there. It pays to have the right attorney to fight for you if you’ve been injured.
