According to Ohio Department of Insurance guidelines, you should tell your insurance company about a minor accident. Doing so could protect you from false claims by the other involved driver at a later date. You should also report any accidents—major or minor—you are involved in because the quote you receive and the rate you pay for your insurance policy is determined, in part, by your driving record.
In addition to these protections, if the cost of repairing your vehicle after a minor accident is higher than the cost of your insurance deductible—and the at-fault driver is uninsured—you could file a claim with your own insurer to cover the cost of your repair.
Depending on the details of your insurance policy, you will report the damage to your insurance provider and start the claims process for your vehicle repairs. You are usually responsible for the cost of your insurance policy’s deductible.
Proving the Cause of a Car Accident
If you or someone you love was involved in a car accident, you are entitled to financial compensation for the expenses created by the accident. If the other driver claims not to be at fault, you and your lawyer might have to prove the cause of the accident in order to collect financial compensation.
The law requires proof that the at-fault driver was negligent. This other driver owed you a standard of care, breached that responsibility, and caused your injuries and property damage. Your injuries and the damage to your car have a financial consequence. Our team can help you prove the cause of the accident with:
- The official police report
- Your medical records
- Statements from witnesses
- Points of impact on each car
Proving that the other driver caused the accident is an important part of getting the financial compensation you deserve. In Ohio, the contributory fault statute could prevent you from receiving full financial recovery after a collision, however. According to Ohio Revised Code § 2315.33, any amount of financial recovery you receive is diminished according to the percentage of fault the at-fault driver can prove that you had for the accident.
When a member of our personal injury team represents you in your compensation claim, we work hard to ensure fault is accurately assigned and that you receive the full amount of financial recovery you are owed.
For a free legal consultation, call (614) 538-1116
Recoverable Financial Damages After a Car Accident
A car accident—even a minor one—can leave you with physical injuries. In turn, the injuries that follow a car accident can leave you with costly medical expenses. These are expenses that should be covered by the at-fault driver. In addition to your medical bills, recoverable financial damages can include:
- Current and future lost wages
- Physical disability and disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional trauma
The costs you incur in a car accident will vary from those of any other accident victim. On your own, that can make it difficult to assign a financial value to your claim for compensation. A lawyer can help you obtain the necessary bills, paperwork, and data to accurately evaluate the total financial aftermath of the car accident in which you were involved.
You Only Have a Certain Amount of Time to Seek Financial Compensation
Even when the driver who caused the accident you were involved in is clearly at fault, the state still limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit for financial recovery.
Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10 generally entitles you to two years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. The clock starts ticking the moment the accident occurs. If the two year timeline elapses and you have not filed your lawsuit, you will not be able to file it at all.
When that happens, the at-fault driver will not be obligated to cover your accident-related costs and you will be left paying out of your own pocket for an accident that was not your fault.
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Report Your Car Accident Right Away
If you or someone you love was injured in a slow-moving car accident, then you should tell your insurance company about the minor accident to protect yourself. You can also strive to have your vehicle repair and injury-related expenses paid if the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured.
You could be entitled to full financial recovery from the driver who caused the accident. Contact Bressman Law by calling (614) 538-1116 to get help filing your claim for financial compensation.
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