What You Should Do if You Rear End Someone

One of the most common incidents that drivers can experience are rear-end collisions, which are becoming more frequent as drivers continue to be distracted by their handheld devices behind the wheel. All rear-end collisions can mean significant inconvenience and the hiring of a vehicle collision attorney. Here’s what you need to know in the event that you become involved in a rear-end collision in Texas.

Texas Isn’t a No-Fault State

12 states in the U.S. are no-fault, as far as rear-end collisions are concerned. A no-fault state is one where drivers are required by law to carry auto insurance, so that, in the event of a collision, they can be compensated by their own insurance company. Doing so provides the opportunity to reduce the number of lawsuits in the court system.

In Texas, all drivers are required to carry auto liability insurance. It’s also presumed that the individual who rear-ended the other vehicle is the one at fault. This can often make car collision lawyers unnecessary. As well, in Texas, rear-ending drivers or their insurance companies can be responsible for damages to victims’ vehicles and, therefore, be held liable for their medical expenses and other damages.

Determining Responsibility

If you rear-ended another driver in the state of Texas, the details of the accident will be very important to your case. For example, more than one driver can be at fault if you or the other driver were texting while driving, which would cause both of you to be financially responsible.

What to Do Following an Accident

Before rear-end collision fault can be determined, it’s important you take the following steps:

Never Leave the Scene

Following a rear-end collision, both drivers are required to remain at the scene of the accident. Not doing so can result in many undesirable consequences, including being deemed responsible for the accident, jail time, and liability for all damages.

Call the Police

Police reports can be important pieces of information to have, not to mention that they’re often deemed mandatory by your insurance company to submit. When speaking with authorities, ensure that you keep personal feelings or opinions out of the equation, providing only the facts.

Take Notes

In addition to calling the police, you’ll want to ensure you take as many pictures as possible from several angles and take notes about what occurred. You may also want to ask any people who may have witnessed the accident for their contact information.

Get Treatment

Even if an ambulance was not needed, it’s important to seek medical treatment, as some injuries can take days to manifest and may become very serious by that point.

Find the Best Car Accident Law Firm

You want to get the highest payout for your accident, and so do the experts at Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. Since 1964, we’ve been winning successful injury cases for hundreds of clients in the state of Texas; call us now: 1-832-266-1357.