Although society does not have much respect for ambulance chasers, the law does forbid the departure of a driver or an accident victim from that horrible scene. In fact, that is one of the 8 obligations of any driver that has been involved in a car accident. Certainly no driver or victim should feel obligated to speak with an ambulance chaser. Still, drivers do have more than one obligation.
The driver’s 8 obligations
• Remain at the scene of the accident. Be a visible presence.
• Give aid and assistance to those that have been injured.
• Provide police with your name, address, insurance number and the name of the state that has issued your driver’s license. Also share your insurance information with the police.
• Share the same pieces of information with the other motorists at the scene of the collision.
• If police have not been called, and if value of damage exceeds $2,000.00, then you have an obligation to call the police.
• Refrain from moving any of the vehicles involved in the accident.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
Make sure that each of the victims receives the information that you have given to the police and to the other motorists. If necessary find out how you can get that information to a victim that has been taken to the hospital. While drivers do have to share a great many details with others, that fact should not encourage a readiness to divulge all the facts surrounding the recent collision. Instead, drivers need to focus on their rights as well as their obligations.
The rights of the driver
At the location where the vehicles have collided, no driver should be pushed to admit liability for what has happened. No driver should indicate that he or she deserves to be labeled “at-fault.” In other words, each driver has the right to remain free from liability charges at that time.
Each driver has the right to hire a lawyer. Lawyers understand what a driver/client was obligated to do, in terms of sharing information. Ideally, the driver that has carried out his or her obligation has also received plenty of information from the other motorists. Such facts could prove of great value to the hired lawyer.
The driver’s list of right expands once he or she has hired a lawyer. At that point, the driver/client has the right to refuse to answer questions, and to refer the questioner to his or her lawyer. In addition, to the expanded rights, the same driver/client enjoys a valuable privilege.
He or she can consult with the personal injury lawyer in Lindsay, and learn what should not be revealed until the lawyer has finished getting all the details, regarding how the vehicles collided. After consulting with a lawyer, the newly-counseled client should understand the danger in making a statement that could be used as a reason for saying that the same client should be held liable for the victims’ injuries.