Serving Lake County, Florida and the Surrounding Areas

INTRODUCTION

1. Other drivers - name, address, phone number, driver's license number, name of insurance company and policy number.
2. Passengers - name, address and phone number.
3. Witnesses - name, address and phone number.
4. Owner(if not the driver) - name, address, phone number, insurance company and policy number.

Make notes about the time of day, weather conditions, road conditions, streetlights, and length of skid marks. Also make a diagram of the accident noting the location of the vehicles, cross walks, stop signs and traffic signals. If you hit a parked car and can't find the owner, leave a note with your name, address, and summary of the accident.

DO NOT ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY

When you exchange information with the other driver and give facts to the police, don't admit responsibility for the accident. Things that you say can be used against you if there is litigation. You may thing that you were responsible for the accident and later learn that the other driver caused it or that the other driver was equally at fault.

TOWING YOUR CAR

Before you allow a two truck driver to pick up your car, be sure to ask the driver how much it will cost and tell the driver where to take your car. Get the name, address and telephone number of the driver and the towing company.

FILING AN ACCIDENT REPORT

In most states, you must file an accident report with the state department of public safety or department of motor vehicles. The report must be filed within a few days of the accident if there were personal injuries or if the damage to property exceeded a minimum amount, say $50. Failure to file an accident report may result in fine and loss of our driver's license. You should be able to get an accident report form from your local police or your insurance agent. Keep a copy of the report for your records.

SEEING YOUR DOCTOR

Both you and your passengers should consider seeing a doctor after the accident. The doctor may recognize some injuries, sometimes serious, that are not apparent to you. The charges for a doctor visit and medical treatment may be covered by your insurance. Don't settle claims from the accident until your doctor has advised you about the extent of your injuries.

NOTIFYING YOUR INSURANCE AGENT

Call your insurance agent as soon as possible after an accident. Your insurance company may have grounds to deny coverage if you fail to give prompt notice of the accident. Follow up the phone call with a written notice and save a copy for your files. The written notice should contain information about the date, time and place of the injured persons, passengers, and witnesses. If you were at fault, your liability insurance should pay for any injuries or property damages. If the other driver is at fault but does not have insurance, your insurance may pay for damages to your car (collision coverage), your medical expenses (medical payment coverage) and even for your pain and suffering (if you have uninsured motorist coverage).

NO-FAULT INSURANCE

Some states have adopted "no-fault" insurance laws. If you live in a no-fault state, your insurance policy will cover your losses from a minor accident regardless of whether you caused it. The losses covered by no-fault insurance usually include medical expenses and lost earnings. No-fault insurance does not protect you for major accidents since the amount of coverage is limited to a few thousand dollars in most states with no-fault insurance laws.

CALLING YOUR LAWYER

If you have been involved in an accident, or if you have received a traffic ticket, your lawyer can advise you about your rights and responsibilities. The sooner you call your lawyer the better since witnesses may forget the details of the accident. Your lawyer can counsel you on how to respond to questions for your insurance adjusters and help you recover compensation for your personal injuries and damages to your car.