What Happens When You are At Fault for a Car Accident? Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

hen you’

e involved in

ccident someone else c

used, you’

e p

bly

e of you

ight to seek compens

tion fo

medic

l bills, p

ope

ty d

ge,

nd othe

losses f

om the insu

nce comp

ny of the

t-f

ult d

ive

. But

t h

ppens if you

e the one

ho c

used the c

sh?

hethe

you

e looking

t you

cell phone, speeding, o

simply f

iled to yield

s you

e supposed to, the guilt

nd st

ess c

n m

ke you feel like you’

e d

ning. Fo

tun

tely, the

e still m

y be help

ble

hen it comes to

ecove

ing you

losses. You m

y believe c

ccident lye

s only help people

ho e innocent victims of c

ccidents, but the

e e m

tto

ney c

ssist you even if you think you’ve c

used

ccident. It’s

lys

th it to discuss the situ

tion

ith

m th

egully h

ndles

ll types of tffic

ccident c

ses.

tion

l l fi

m b

sed in Houston

ith multiple offices

ound the count

lso

ith

ffili

te l

ms in most st

tes th

t she ou

focus

nd dedic

tion to excellence. No m

ttehe

e you

e loc

ted,

e m

y be

ble to help you, so c

ll o

cont

ct us no

e e open, fo

ee, 24 hou

y, seven d

ys eek,

t <

ef=”tel:+1800-898-4877″>800-898-4877 >, o

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CT US NO

by [<

ef=”https://c

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“>CLICKING HE

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fte
You Think You C
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C

C

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If you think (o

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used

ccident<>, st

y c

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e steps to t

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hethe

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t f

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y focused to ensu

e you do—

nd don’t do—ce

in things. Fi

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undeny ci

cumst

nces should you le

ve the <

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ccident >. Eve

y st

te h

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bout stopping

fte

ining

t the scene. If

ive

kno

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oke the l o

y be subject to othe

cit

tions o

imin

l ch

ges, they m

y be tempted to d

ive

y to

void the consequences of thei

ctions. Ho

eve

, if you le

ve the scene of the csh, you could f

est

nd se

ious <

ef=”https://c

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vices

hit-

un-inju

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imin

l ch

ges fo

hit

un >, in

ddition to you

esponsibility fo

the

ccident. It is

lys<
em> bette
to stop in
cco
d
nce
ith the l. In some st
tes, you m
y
lso need to
endeid to
nyone
ho needs it o
c
ll fo
help.
t the ve
y le
st you should exch
nge you
cont
ct
nd insunce info
m
tion
ith the othe
d
ive
o
d
ive
s involved. If the
e is
ce
t
in
mount of p
ope
ty d
m
ge o
if someone suffe
ed inju
ies in the
ccident, you likely h
ve to
epo
t it to the
utho
ities. Fo
ex
mple, unde
Tex
s l

, you

e
equi
ed to
epo
t
collision if it involves inju
y, de
th, p
ope
ty d
m
ge exceeding $1,000, o
p
ope
ty d
m
ge th
t m
kes
vehicle impossible to d
ive.

It’s
good ide
to c
ll 911 o
the police di
ectly so someone c
n
espond to the scene of the
ccident.
hile you it fo
the police, keep to you
self
s much
s possible. In some situ
tions, the othe
d
ive
m
y t
y to conf
ont you o
displ
y
nge
ove
the csh. Do you
best to st
y g
ounded
nd don’t
dmit f
ult opologize. It c
n be
ll too e
sy to st

t s
ying th
t you’
e soy fo
being dist

cted o
not noticing the othe
c

. This is
mist
ke,
s you should nevedmit
ny negligent
cts to the othe
d
ive
. Even if you’
e feeling ne
vous, you should ong>
void the follo
ing<
st
ong>:

-level=”1″>Discussing
h
t you
e
e doing p
io
to the c

sh

i
-level="1">T
lking
bout
ho you think

s to bl
me<
li>

i
-level="1">
pologizing o
m
king
ny st
tements th
t m
y indic
te you
e
e
t f
ult<
li>

i
-level="1">
sking the othe
d
ive
questions to t
y to dete
mine
hethe
they m
de
mist
ke
s
ell

St
y polite, but keep communic
tions to
minimum. Dete
mine
hethenyone is hu
t
nd p
ovide the b
sic info
m
tion the d
ive
needs f
om you, then

it c
lmly until medic
l pe
sonnel
nd police
ive. Even if the othe
d
ive
is
cting
gg
essive, you should neve
be
gg
essive o
defensive in
etu
n.
hen the police
ive, st
y cou
teous
nd give them
b
sic st
tement
eg

ding ho
the
ccident h
ppened.
hile you c
n s
y th
t you
c

collided
ith the othe
c

, neve

dd det
ils such
s “I

s dist

cted
nd hit the c.”
void
dmitting
hy you think you
e
e
t f
ult,
s
nything you s
y
ill be used
g
inst you l
te
.

It’s
lso impo
t
nt to collect evidence
t the scene of the
ccident if you e in good physic
l condition to do so. In some c
ses, the
e m
y be evidence th
t you sh

ed the bl
me
ith the othe
d
ive
,
hich c
n be ext
emely v
lu
ble. Follo
these steps to begin compiling evidence
s soon
s the
ccident occu
s:

-level=”1″>Collect n
mes
nd cont
ct info
m
tion fo
eve
yone involved in the
ccident

i
-level="1">Collect n
mes
nd cont
ct info
m
tion fo

ny
itnesses
nd
sk if
nyone c
ptu
ed the c

sh on thei
phone<
li>

i
-level="1">See if the
e

e
ny c
me

s

ound th
t m
y h
ve gotten foot
ge of the
ccident (d
sh c
ms, doo
bell c
mes, tffic light c
me

s, su
veill
nce c
mes fo
ne

by businesses, etc.)

i
-level="1">Use you
sm

tphone to t
ke pictu
es of the scene, including
ll vehicles
nd d
m
ge, deb
is,
o
d conditions,
nd othe
envi
onment
l f
cto
s<
li>

If you h
ve
ny inju
ies, seek medic
l c

e
s soon
s you c
n. It’s impo
t
nt to get the t
e
tment you need in o
de
to minimize the complic
tions
nd
ecove
y time of you
inju
ies. Medic
l
eco
ds
lso se
ve
s evidence of you
inju
ies
nd you

ccident-
el
ted expenses.
fte
you’
e st
ble, it’s impo
t
nt to notify you
insunce comp
ny of
h
t h
ppened.
e kno
you’
e not looking fo

d to m
king this c
ll, but it’s necess

y. Don’t m
ke
ny offici
l st
tements
bout ho
the
ccident h
ppened, but do let them kno
th
t
n
ccident occu

ed.

Next, <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
getting-
n-
tto
ney-fo
–
-c-
ccident-cl
im
“>cont
ct
n expe
ienced c
ccident l

ye
<>. If
c

sh

s you
f
ult,
hy
ould you need
lye
? M
ny people
sk this question bec
use they don’t kno
ho

l

ye
c
n help them if they
e
e to bl
me. Ho
eve
, you
ould be su
p
ised
t the m
ny benefits of <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
i-need-
-c-
ccident-l

ye

“>h
ving
l

ye
<> ev
lu
te you
situ
tion
nd you
options.
h
t if You
e
e Only Pti
lly
t F
ult?

One
e
son you should
lys <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
se
vices
c

–
ccident-
tto
ney-houston
“>discuss you

ccident
ith
l

ye
<> in depth is th
t they c
n
dvise you
hethe
o
not you might still h
ve
ch
nce
t fin
nci
l
ecove
y.
l

fi
m c
n conduct
p
ofession
l investig
tion
nd
evie

ll
elev
nt evidence to dete
mine
hethe
you c
n p
ove the othe
d
ive
s
lso pti
lly li
ble.
hethe

p

ti
lly li
ble d
ive
c
n still seek
ecove
y
ill depend on you
st
te’s p

ticul

l

s.
lye
f
om you
ju
isdiction c
n
dvise you of ho
you
st
te t
e
ts this situ
tion. The follo
ing is
b
ief ove
vie
of v

ious st
te ls
pplic
ble to this situ
tion.

ong>Pu
e Cont
ibuto
y Negligence ong> – St
tes th
t follo
the pu
e cont
ibuto
y negligence
ule p
ohibit someone f
om
ecove
ing
ny compens
tion if they
e
e even ong>1%<
st
ong><
em>
t f
ult fo
the csh. This me
ns th
t if both pties cont
ibuted to
c
ccident in
ny <
em>

y, neithe
<
em>p

ty c
n
ecove
compens
tion f
om the othe
. St
tes th
t follo
this
ule include:

i
-level="1">
l
b
m
<
li>

i
-level="1">Dist
ict of Columbi
<
li>

i
-level="1">Myl
nd

i
-level="1">No
th C

olin
<
li>

i
-level="1">Vi
gini
<
li>

ong>Pu
e Comp
tive F
ult ong> – Unde
these l

s, you c
n seek
ecove
y fo
p

ti
l losses even if you
e
e 99%
t f
ult! Pties
ho
e
e p

ti
lly
t f
ult
l

ys h
ve the oppo
tunity to file
cl
im
s long
s they
e
e not 100%
esponsible. Pu
e comp
tive f
ult st
tes include the follo
ing:

i
-level="1">
l
sk

i
-level="1"><
h
ef="https:
/
.
zleg.gov/

s/12/02505.htm” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>

izon
<><
li>

i
-level="1">C
lifo
ni

i
-level="1"><
h
ef="http:
/
.leg.st
te.fl.us/st
tutes
index.cfm?
pp_mode=Displ
y_St
tute&
mp;U
L=0700-0799
0768/Sections/0768.81.html” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>Flo
id
><
li>

i
-level="1"><
h
ef="https:
/legisl
tu
e.ky.gov/st
tutes
st
tute.
spx?id=17782″ t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>Kentucky ><
li>

i
-level="1">Louisi
n
<
li>

i
-level="1">Mississippi<
li>

i
-level="1">Missou
i

i
-level="1">Ne
Mexico

i
-level="1">Ne
Yo
k<
li>

i
-level="1">
hode Isl
nd<
li>

i
-level="1">shington<
li>

ong>Modified Comp
tive F
ult<
st
ong> – This is ule th
t
llo
s p

ti
lly li
ble p

ties to seek compens
tion fo
thei
losses, but only if they e less
t f
ult th
n the othe
pty. Some st
tes p
ohibit
ecove
y if someone is 50% li
ble
hile othe
s set the limit
t 51%. This is the most common
ule. Most st
tes use some type of modified comp
tive f
ult, including:

-level=”1″>

k
ns
s (50%)

i
-level="1">Colodo (50%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Connecticut (51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Dele (51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Geo
gi
(50%)<
li>

i
-level="1">H
ii (51%)

i
-level="1">Id
ho (50%)

i
-level="1"><
h
ef="http:
/
.ilg
.gov/legisl
tion
ilcs/fulltext.
sp?DocN
me=073500050K2-1116″ t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>Illinois (51%) ><
li>

i
-level="1">Indi
n
(51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Io (51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">K
ns
s (50%)<
li>

i
-level="1">M
ine (50%)

i
-level="1">M
ss
chusetts (51%<
li>

i
-level="1">Michig
n (51%)

i
-level="1">Minnesot
(51%)

i
-level="1">Mont
n
(51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Nebsk
(50%)

i
-level="1">Ne
H
mpshi
e (51%)

i
-level="1">Ne
Je
sey (51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">No
th D
kot
(50%)

i
-level="1">Ohio (51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">Okl
hom
(51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">O
egon (51%)

i
-level="1">Pennsylv
ni
(51%)<
li>

i
-level="1">South Colin
(51%)

i
-level="1">Tennessee (50%)<
li>

i
-level="1"><
h
ef="https:
/st
tutes.c
pitol.tex
s.gov
Docs/CP/htm/CP.33.htm” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>Tex
s (51%)<><
li>

i
-level="1">Ut
h (50%)

i
-level="1">Ve
mont (51%)

i
-level="1">
est Vi
gini
(51%)

i
-level="1">
isconsin (51%)

i
-level="1">
yoming (51%)

If you live in
pu
e comp
tive f
ult st
te o modified comp
tive f
ult st
te, you m
y be
ble to t
ke leg
l
ction. The f
ct th
t you
lso cont
ibuted to the
ccident
ill
educe you

ecove
y by you
pe
cent
ge of f
ult. Fo
inst
nce, if you
e
e 40%
t f
ult
nd incu

ed $10,000 in losses, you c
n still
ecove
$6,000. The insunce comp
ny o
ju
y dete
mines the pe
cent
ge of f
ult to
ssign to e
ch d
ive
.

These p
opo
tion
te li
bility l

s

e highly impo
t
nt,
s they help d
ive
s
ho m
y h
ve
cted negligently but
ho still dese
ve to
ecove
fin
nci
lly
fte

c

sh.
lye
c
n expl
in
hethe
this situ
tion
pplies to you
nd c
n help you t
ke the next steps to
d
ecove
y.

You
Insunce Covege<
h2>
fte
you c
used
c
ccident, it is impo
t
nt to unde
st
nd you
insu

nce options fully.
g
in, you
options
ill depend on the st
te you live in
nd/o

he
e the
ccident h
ppened.
No-F
ult St
tes<
h3>
The
e e
h
ndful of st
tes th
t h
ve no-f
ult
uto insu

nce l

s. This me
ns eve
y d
ive
h
s thei
o
n c insunce,
nd you
ill m
ke
cl
im
ith you
o
n <
em>insu

nce comp
ny
hethe
o
not you
e
e
t f
ult. No-f
ult covege should p
ovide benefits fo
you
medic
l bills
nd lost

ges
hethe
you
e
e 100 pe
cent o
ze
o pe
cent li
ble fo
the c

sh.

The
e e eleven no-f
ult st
tes in the United St
tes:

i
-level="1">Flo
id
<
li>

i
-level="1">H
ii

i
-level="1">K
ns
s<
li>

i
-level="1">Kentucky<
li>

i
-level="1">M
ss
chusetts<
li>

i
-level="1">Michig
n

i
-level="1">Minnesot

i
-level="1">Ne
Je
sey<
li>

i
-level="1">Ne
Yo
k<
li>

i
-level="1">No
th D
kot

i
-level="1">Pennsylv
ni
<
li>

i
-level="1">Ut
h

F
ult-b
sed St
tes<
h3>
In
f
ult-b
sed st
te, you
ill file
n insu

nce cl
im
ith the comp
ny th
t cove
s the
t-f
ult d
ive
. Th
t d
ive
’s policy should p
ovide benefits fon
ccident victim’s medic
l costs
nd othe
losses. If the comp
ny cl
ims you
e
e
lso p

ti
lly to bl
me, they
ill ce
t
inly use th
t
s
justific
tion to
educe
settlement offe
fo
you, though you m
y still be
ble to
ecove
fo
some of you
losses.
Pe
son
l Inju
y P
otection (PIP) Insunce<
h3>
PIP insu

nce is no-f
ult covege
equi
ed in no-f
ult st
tes. Ho
eve
, m
ny f
ult-b
sed st
tes, <
h
ef="https:
/
.tdi.tex
s.gov/pubs/consume

cb020.html” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
“>such
s Tex
s >,
lso
equi
e insu

nce comp
nies to offe
PIP cove

ge fo
d
ive
s. In f
ct, if
d
ive
declines this covege, they must do so in iting. If you e 100%
t f
ult fo csh (o
mo
e th
n 51% in
modified comp
tive f
ult st
te), you
PIP insunce c
n p
ovide v
lu
ble
ssist
nce. This covege
ill not t
ke you
f
ult into
ccount,
nd you c
n seek benefits to p
y fo
medic
l t
e
tment
nd
eimbu
se you fo
lost ges up to you
policy limits.

Supplement
l Insunce<
h3>
Othe
types of supplement
l cove

ge c
n
lso come in h
ndy in this situ
tion. This includes eme
gency covege such
s the policies offe
ed by
fl
c
nd simil

comp
nies. You m
y
lso h
ve pu
ch
sed medic
l p
yments cove

ge, kno
n
s MedP
y. MedP
y c
n help you p
y cop
ys
nd othe
out-of-pocket expenses fo
you
medic
l t
e
tment.

Even if you

e filing
cl
im
ith you
o
n insunce comp
ny, st
y c
utious. Insu

nce comp
nies e noto
iously difficult, even
hen it comes to helping thei
o
n policyholde
s. It’s
ise to h
ve the help of
skilled c
ccident
tto
ney.

Just bec
use you p
y you
p
emiums does not me
n you
insu
eill
utom
tic
lly h
nd ove
p
yment
hen you
equest it, even if you
policy cove
s you
cl
im. You c
n f
ce the s
me ch
llenges you
ould f
ce
hen filing
cl
im
g
inst
nothe
d
ive
’s policy,
nd you should h
ve the s
me qu
lity leg
l
ep
esent
tion in this situ
tion.
ny type of c
ccident scenio c
n be st
essful
nd c
n le
ve you sh
ken up. The situ
tion c
n be even mo
e
oisome if you believe you
e
e
t f
ult fo
the c

sh. It is impo
t
nt to get the leg
l suppo
t you need
nd m
ke su
e you len
bout you

ights
nd
ll possible oppo
tunities fo
fin
nci
l
ecove
y.
e
ch out no
fo ong>f
ee <
st
ong>consult
tion by c
lling us
t <
h
ef=”tel:+1800-898-4877″>800-898-4877 > o
<
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
cont
ct-us
“>visiting ou
cont
ct p
ge<> to she you
sto
y.
e’
e he
e fo
you 24
7!

<
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.comfte
–
n-
ccident-inju
y
“>
h
t to Do
ften
ccident Inju
y <><
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
lets-b
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“>Episode #1: Let’s B
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ht to Do fte You Think You C used C C sh

h t if You e e Only Ptilly t Fult?

You Insunce Covege<h2> fte you c used c ccident, it is impot nt to undest nd you insu nce options fully. gin, you options ill depend on the st te you live in nd/o he e the ccident h ppened.

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h
t to Do
fte
You Think You C
used
C

C

sh

h
t if You
e
e Only Pti
lly
t F
ult?

You
Insunce Covege<
h2>
fte
you c
used
c
ccident, it is impo
t
nt to unde
st
nd you
insu

nce options fully.
g
in, you
options
ill depend on the st
te you live in
nd/o

he
e the
ccident h
ppened.