Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident
Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident. Being prepared for a Rancho Cordova minor car accident is one way to ease the anxiety that occurs when a crash happens and procure a better recovery. If you are like most people, the odds are you will be in an accident every 18 years. Of the roughly 10 million car accidents each year, about 30 percent involve fatalities. The remaining 70 percent is divided between minor to serious injury accidents. Since many minor or low impact car crashes are never reported, an exact annual figure is not available. Let’s take a look at what a driver should do when a low impact crash occurs.
Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident Definition
Minor car accidents are considered to be those where physical damage to a vehicle is hard to see without close inspection, suggesting a low-speed impact. For example, fender-benders and rear end accidents are often considered to be minor car accidents. Don’t be lulled into thinking that since you cannot see much damage, the cost to repair the vehicle will be minimal. Depending on where the vehicle was hit, the type of vehicle and the exact speed of impact, some minor car accidents can be costly to restore. The bottom line is to never assume the damage will be easily and cheaply repaired.
Calling the Police After a Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident
Calling the police is not necessary if the damage is less than $1,000, and no one is injured or killed. Just because reporting an accident from the scene is not required does not mean the accident should not be reported at all. The general rule, in this case, is to report it within 24 hours of the crash. A police report is invaluable when dealing with an insurance company since it documents the accident and provides necessary details. Additionally, if the other driver performed an illegal maneuver or was driving drunk, this will be documented in the police report.
Reporting to the DMV
Reporting the accident to the DMV has similar requirements. If a minor car accident involves an injury or a fatality and if damage to property exceeds $1,000, the DMV must be alerted within ten days of the event by a driver. This is true whether the crash occurred on private property or public roads or if the reporting party was at fault for the accident or not. Use the form entitled Report of a Traffic Accident Occurring in California, which can be downloaded here or at the DMV website.
Injury in a Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident
Injury can be deceptive in a low impact crash. Occupants of both vehicles may not report a physical injury at the accident site. However, feeling pain after a minor crash may not be an adequate representation of the facts. Symptoms might be hidden by the rush of adrenaline that occurs due to the traumatic experience. Alternately, some conditions, such as a cervical sprain, do not become physically symptomatic for up to 72 hours. It is best to keep a watchful eye on any new or bothersome symptoms for a few days. It is always better to see your doctor whether you are symptomatic or not to obtain a baseline.
Aggravating Preexisting Condition
Insurers often deny a claim if an injured person has preexisting conditions that could conceivably cause similar symptoms. The problem here is that sometimes preexisting conditions are asymptomatic. After a car accident, even a minor one, the condition itself may become painful, interfering with daily activity.
Let’s take a common condition such as osteoarthritis, one that often is found to be present in the back. After a car accident where the individual was exposed to forces that jarred the head and upper back, such as those commonly seen with whiplash, the original condition may be aggravated and become symptomatic for the first time. An experienced injury lawyer can argue that the newly experienced symptoms were directly related to the crash. Sometimes, an injured party will develop post-traumatic arthritis due to an accident. Determining if this is a possibility is important when calculating future medical costs.
Fault in a Rancho Cordova Minor Car Accident
When trying to determine fault in a parking lot or other minor accident, it is important to review how the crash happened. A common accident occurs when one vehicle is trying to exit a parking space and is hit by another.
For instance, let’s say that you are backing out of the space, however, your vehicle is surrounded by an SUV and a large pickup. You might not see a vehicle behind you and continue leaving. Unfortunately, the inability to see does not mitigate the fact that the driver did not see the other vehicle. Another common situation occurs when two vehicles approach the same parking space simultaneously. If one vehicle arrives first, then that vehicle has the right of way. In addition, the vehicle that is not on the same side as the parking space is liable for the minor car accident since they cross over the flow of traffic.
Personal Injury Lawyer Rancho Cordova
I’m Ed Smith, a Rancho Cordova personal injury lawyer. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you need the help of an experienced injury lawyer to obtain the compensation you deserve. Call me at (916) 921-6400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach out to me at (800) 404-5400 or online.
I’ve helped numerous residents of Rancho Cordova and those in Northern California with all types of car accidents, wrongful death cases, and others.
The Million Dollar Advocates is a forum of trial lawyers who have won a case for a client of more than $1 million. I am a member of the state of California.
Learn more about my practice by reading reviews from my prior clients and some of my peers as well as see how previous cases were resolved on the following pages:
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