Can You Get Money For A Fender Bender?

Can You Get Money For A Fender Bender?

Yes, you can get money to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses after a ‘fender bender’. For example, you may be able to file a claim under your insurance or the other driver’s insurance. In addition, you may be able to obtain financial compensation for losses, such as lost wages and medical bills, from whoever is responsible for your damages. In addition, you may be entitled to money for your pain and suffering from a car accident.

Many car accident victims do not seek compensation unless the accident is serious. After a minor collision, especially if the physical injuries are not serious, victims may feel it is not worth contacting a lawyer. This could not be farther from the truth.

For many reasons, that is not true. First, there are strict time limits on how to prove your injuries, this is different than a time limit to sue. While it may not be a ‘law’ you will be hard-pressed to get money if you wait to contact a lawyer or see a doctor. Furthermore, many of injuries in fender benders take time to surface, such as whiplash injuries or bulging disc in the spine. Remember an emergency room is a triage center, they are not there to treat you just to make sure you are able to walk out of the emergency room.

Skilled car accident lawyers protect the rights of countless car accident victims, giving them access to the compensation they deserve. Although most fender benders cause only minor or no vehicle damage, the injuries victims may have could be worth a great deal.

Even minor accidents are stressful and uncomfortable. Knowing what to do after a fender bender will save you time, money, and hassle. If you have been in a fender bender, seeking legal advice is in your best interest. Remember, personal injury attorneys do not cost anything up front and only get paid if you recover money (1/3 of the money recovered) and if nothing is recovered you owe them nothing. So accepting that offer is a win-win. Your injury lawyer will evaluate your case to determine if it makes sense to seek compensation and advise you on how to proceed.

What’s A Fender Bender?

A fender bender is a little car accident. They typically occur during low-speed travel and can be a frontal, T-shaped, or rear-end collision. Generally, a car accident is considered minor when it results in minor or no injuries and vehicle damage valued at $500 or less.

When considering how much compensation you could get from a minor car accident, it’s important to know what is considered “minor.”  An example is if you have a fender that slightly damages the vehicle but is still drivable. Even minor accidents can cause injuries.

Common examples of property damage in minor accidents include:

• Signs of scratches, dents, cracks, or scratches on a vehicle body
• Broken or cracked side mirrors, headlights, or taillights
• Damage to a vehicle’s doors, trunk, or hood that could make it difficult to open or close
• Damage to the front of the car, such as the the headlights

A minor fender bender could damage the car’s chassis, unbalance the vehicle, or damage its axles or other parts. You may also want to consider seeing a doctor make sure you’re okay, that should be the number 1 priority for yourself and any relatives that may have been in the car with you. This would record a doctor’s visit if your little accident caused troubling aches, pains, or injuries.

Common Fender Bender Injuries

Although most fender strikes cause only minor injuries, some serious ones, such as soft tissue damage are far too common. Some of these injuries may not cause symptoms for days or weeks. Therefore, it is important to seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not think you have been seriously injured. Some of the more common fender bending injuries include:

• Whiplash
• Bruises
• Cuts and lacerations
• Soft tissue damage
• Back and neck injuries
• Bone fractures
• Internal bleeding
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Protect Yourself After A Fender Bender

Minor crashes tend to occur at low speeds and cause very little damage to vehicles, typically less than five hundred dollars in damage. Causes include:

• Drivers backing out of parking lots or driveways
• Slippery roads due to weather conditions
• Distracted drivers
• Rear-end collisions in traffic in slow motion

What To Do After A Fender-Bender

Even a small car collision can cause major physical consequences. In a small crash, there is a good chance that no one will be hurt, but all too often someone is. As a result, further problems can be avoided by staying calm and taking control of the situation.

1. Safety First: Unless you’re already in a safe place, like a parking lot, start by moving the car involved in the accident out of the lane and insert your hazard warning lights. Look for the other vehicle involved in the crash. Write down the color, make, model, and license plate number, in case the other driver flees the scene.
2. Call 911: Even if it looks like the accident caused only a small dent, call the police. This is a critical, don’t let the other driver persuade you from calling the police or involving insurance companies.

The insurance company must be aware regardless of who caused the fender bender. Drivers are to inform the policy whenever vehicle damage exceeds five hundred dollars. Since most people aren’t good at judging vehicle damage instantly, it’s best to always call the police.

3. Medical treatment: Do not refuse on site. You could be seriously injured, and it may not occur to you. Shock and anger can mask the symptoms. Don’t tell anyone you’re “fine” or “just angry”. If a visit to the hospital does not happen immediately, see a doctor as soon as possible. If such a visit does not occur on the same day, it should occur at least the following day. If you do not own a family doctor, go to the emergency room immediately. If you do not have insurance, do not worry every car in New York has 50k in medical expenses, contact a lawyer to help you access that.

Injuries often do not make themselves felt immediately. For example, the effects of whiplash, sprains, and strains are often not felt until a few hours or even days after a collision. Delays often allow insurance companies to claim that the crash did not cause the injuries. Insurance companies like to deny claims because the injured person has delayed medical treatment.

Remember the insurance company is not your friend, they hire sweet people who persuade you not to contact a lawyer with false promises of payment for work or medical bills. Remember they do not have a fiduciary or ethical duty to you under the law so they can lie to you just like police are allowed to lie to a suspect when they arrest them for a crime. Your lawyer cannot, they have a legal, ethical and fiduciary duty to you.

What Is Said And Done Can Be Utilized To One’s Detriment?

There is absolutely no point in yelling at the other driver. Offensive language or threatening behavior can negatively affect witnesses and damage insurance claims. Someone always takes out their smartphone and records scenes of people losing their temper. Staying calm does not denote weakness. Instead, it means that you are in control of the situation.

If the other driver becomes aggressive and starts yelling offensive language, stay in the car with the windows rolled up. Immediately call the police and inform the operator that the other driver is displaying threating behavior.

Pay attention to what is said. Regardless of fault, don’t apologize. This is not the time for an apology for why the accident could have happened, such as “I didn’t see you”.

Evidence Supports Insurance Claims

Driver Information:  If law enforcement permits, write down the driver’s details and the name and telephone number of the driver’s insurance company.

1. Vehicle Information: Write the color, make, model, and year of the other vehicle. Write down the car’s license number plate and a description of the damage that you can see.
2. Photos and Videos: Use a camera or mobile phone to take pictures and videos of the crash scene, cars, and point of impact. If you see open beer cans or other bottles of alcohol, take a picture of them. If the police or security respond, be sure to let them know if the driver takes a sobriety test in the field, photograph or film the test while it is in progress, unless the police prohibit such.
3. Look for Witnesses: Even if it’s a minor car accident, witness statements are good evidence of the other driver’s fault. In addition, witness testimony helps the insurance company if someone from the other car comes back with inflated claims. Ask witnesses to write their contact information and a brief statement of what they saw. Ask them to sign and date your written statement.
4. Police Report: When the police have an accident, they immediately secure the scene, check for injuries, and deal with traffic issues. Often, an officer will investigate the incident and prepare an incident report. The incident report includes information on the drivers and passengers, a scene diagram, citations issued, insurance information, and the judgment of the at-fault officer. Insurance adjusters place great importance on police reports. A copy of the incident report must be available within one week of the incident.
5. Accident Report: Many fender bends occur in parking lots. Large shopping stores and malls may have security guards who will write a report about the incident. While it won’t carry the strength of a police report, a version of the incident report will prove the date and location of the incident.

Conclusion

Most car accident cases are settled out of court. However, developing a fair and reasonable agreement often takes some time. Your attorney has a lot of work to build your case and paint a picture of how the accident impacted your life. Then, they will negotiate and prepare to take it to trial if necessary. All this work and time is an investment in the value of your auto accident compensation claim and can be highly rewarding if you are patient enough.

In short, getting a fair deal or a successful jury verdict doesn’t happen overnight. Lawyers for traffic accident victims often go through multiple rounds of negotiation before reaching an agreement. Usually, the highest offers do not happen until the parties are prepared to bring the case to trial. Patience is a virtue. It can be difficult to “hurry and wait” when it comes to insurance claims, but the work your attorney does on your behalf can pay big dividends if you can carry it through to the end.