Myths About Crashes
There are many things that people believe to be true and are surprised to learn are actually myths when it comes to car crashes.
Crash Myth #1
Who gets the ticket determines the fault
This one may be the most commonly accepted myth regarding car crashes. Truth: Not only does the ticket not completely determine fault in any manner, it is not even admissible in civil court as it is Hearsay. Like many myths, there is a base in truth. Oftentimes for routine car accidents insurance companies operate by letting the accident report be their complete investigation.
Crash Myth #2
Police interview all witnesses and record all information so there is no need to bother with doing that at the accident scene.
Truth: police are busy and many times do not record witnesses, especially if they don’t see a conflict in the way the crash happened. This causes terrible problems later on and is one of the reasons that we stress to at least take pictures of the car tags or get phone numbers for all witnesses before they leave.
Crash Myth #3
If you rear-end someone it is automatically your fault.
Truth: While the vast majority of rear-end accidents are caused by the person following too closely, there are cases where the person coming up behind is not completely at fault and may even recover money. I have even won a trial on those facts, where we received the ticket. Imagine topping a sharp turn only to find a slow-moving tractor’s deployed bat wing bush hog blocking your lane without warning.
Crash Myth #4
Cars explode in the flames after most crashes
Truth: Airbags put out a burnt smelling smoke and powder that permeates the cabin. That creates a belief in many people that their car is about to explode. In fact, car explosions and accidents are very rare, although they do happen occasionally.
Crash Myth #5
Insurance companies have to treat unrepresented people fairly in every case
Truth: more and more we are seeing unrepresented people be sent a check with an agreement where the insurance company wants to pay $500 or $1000 and they say they will pay for medicals up to say $1,000-$10,000 within a year. I’ve seen this happen as quickly as 48 hours after an accident. This is before you even follow up with your family doctor to know if you’ve got something going on. This is tragic when someone winds up having neck surgery and has settled the case for $1,500. Never let anyone rush you. Medical problems sometimes take months to manifest fully.
Crash Myth #6
Simple accidents where the insurance company takes care of the car without any arguments means that they will also take care of any injuries that you have without any issues
Truth: first of all, it is usually a different adjuster that deals with the injury case. Secondly, they are not beholden to their initial investigation and can easily deny coverage or more likely, delay and not return calls until right before the statute of limitations. This is only one year in Tennessee. Then they tend to lowball you and you have difficulty finding an attorney in time.
Mr. Peel seeks justice for those injured in truck, motorcycle, and car crashes. He often addresses churches, clubs and groups without charge. Mr. Peel may be reached through PeelLawFirm.com wherein other articles may be accessed.
Mr. Peel and his staff are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. The environment was inviting and not intimidating in the least. They make you feel like they truly care about you and your case. Mr. Peel answered any questions I had without making me feel like a burden or a dummy. I would definitely recommend him for your personal injury law needs.
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