Most motorists can attest to the sickening feeling that follows a near-miss. One of the other drivers may have cut you off, a deer may have jumped out in front of your car, or a pedestrian may have crossed the street outside of the designated crosswalk. You probably made a split-second decision to slow down or swerve around whatever was in the road, and you succeeded.
Car accidents are unfortunately common, and while each collision has the potential to be complicated, swerving-related collisions provide unique challenges. Discuss your case with Atlanta personal injury lawyer.
This is due to the difficulty in proving that you were driving safely (within the speed limit, paying attention to the road, etc.) before to the accident. It’s already difficult to prove that an animal, pothole, or piece of road debris didn’t play a role in an accident, but it’s even more difficult to prove that another person was at fault when there isn’t even a witness to the incident.
Someone has just run me off the road; what should I do?
Keep as much evidence as you can from the beginning if a careless driver causes you to swerve and hit another car or cause your own catastrophe. Call the police to file a report once you’ve made sure everyone involved is okay and you can go to a safe location. Write down the details you remember, including the licence plate number of the car whose driver made you swerve. The driver probably didn’t stop because he or she wasn’t aware of the collision they caused. Sometimes, when a motorist is reported missing, the term “phantom driver” is used to describe the person.
Be sure to get statements and contact information from any witnesses. You can rely on them as your strongest evidence that the accident was caused by someone else’s reckless behaviour and not your own. You might be able to file a claim with your own insurance company under your uninsured motorist coverage if your case is particularly strong. However, insurance companies frequently dispute these claims, and drivers who have been forced off the road frequently resort to using their own collision coverage or paying out of pocket for the necessary repairs and expenses.
