Two Things That Will Make Your Life a Little Less Stressful if You Are in an Accident
Getting in a car accident is always a scary situation. But what can you do before and after the car accident occurs so that your life is as stress-free as possible? Before you get in an accident, you should make sure that you are always insured when you are driving a car. After you get in an accident, you should immediately contact law enforcement so you can have an accident report created for your accident.
What happens if you are in a car accident and you are uninsured?
Driving without insurance in Florida is against the law and carries with it serious legal and financial risks. If you have car insurance and your policy lapses, your insurance carrier is required to notify the Department of Highway Safety. If you fail to get new coverage, then your license, plates, and registration can be suspended for up to three years. Once the suspension is in place, in order to have your license, plates, and registration reinstated you will need to provide proof that you are insured and pay a $150 fee to the state. It gets even more expensive if you have more than one lapse in your insurance coverage. For your second offense within three years, the fee goes up to $250 to be reinstated. If you have a third offense, then the fee again rises to a total of $500. But these fees pale in comparison to the amount of liability you are exposing yourself to if you are in an accident while you do not have insurance. If you are at fault for the accident, you could be liable to pay hospital bills that total tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Contact Law Enforcement Immediately to Obtain an Accident Report
It is important to always insist that the crash be reported to law enforcement so an officer can complete an accident report. Once an official report of the crash exists, you can then proceed to take steps to receive payment for your losses. Do not try to negotiate a payment agreement with the other party prior to receiving an accident report from a law enforcement officer. Trying to negotiate a settlement without an accident report could result in you not being fully compensated for your injuries and can possible expose you to personal liability; if no official report of the crash exists, then the situation places your word against theirs. You should also make sure that the investigating officer records the insurance information for all the parties on the accident report so you don’t have trouble tracking down this information when you need it in the future.
If you are involved in a car accident, it is important to have experienced attorneys fighting for your rights. Contact the Florida personal injury attorneys at Pike & Lustig, LLP for a consultation and to learn how we can be of assistance.
