A guy ran a red light and hit my car. How can i prove that he was at fault? (Please see deatail.)?

Question

As i was passing through an intersection with a green light, a car on the adjacent street ran the red light and hit the passenger side of my car. I called the police & they refused to come to the scene due to the fact that there wasnt any injuries. I only have liability coverage & my insurance company isn't helping me prove that he is at fault. I don't know how i can prove that he ran the red light, if you have any ideas or you have been in a similar situation please help me out.Thanks.

Answer 1

With a bit of luck there was someone who saw it happen and you are not aware of it. Find out what the local rules are about signs and if it is legal post signs asking if any one saw the accident. The fact that you were in the intersection says something about who was IN the intersection first. Most insurance companies tell their customers to not admit any guilt at the scene so don't count on that ever. Hopefully someone will see one of your signs and call you. you may have to contact a lawyer. most of them offer a free consultation.

Answer 2

Check to see if there were red light cameras anywhere in the area. Other options might be ATM cameras, though that would be hard to get. Basically it's your word against the other driver's. You may get a call from the insurance companies to take your statement. Make sure your facts are specific, with any kind of timing evidence you can come up with (i.e., what speed you were going, if you had gone through a previous intersection on the green--they could time it). If all else fails, you can take the driver to small claims court. Add: The above post is incorrect, as you probably already know. Where I live the cops don't come unless there's an injury.

Answer 3

First of all, I would like to say that I'm sorry that this has happened to you. I cannot believe that the police wouldn't come out to do a accident report! One suggestion I can make is to hire an attorney. I've never been one to sue someone, but I am in a similar situation myself with my daughter's vehicle. I talked to an attorney; he agreed to take my case. He started out charging me by the hour, and depending on how much time and effort he has to put into the case, he may have to charge by a percentage. I am no longer having to deal with the stress of it all! If you can make any pictures of the damages, do so. Also, document each and every time you call or visit (whether you make contact or not). Hope I've been of some help! Good luck!

Answer 4

ok first of all, you can and should sue the police department because regardless if anyone is hurt, it is their job to come and write up a report on the accident. that is breaking the law. second of all, have tons of pictures taken of your car, hopefully you haven't had it fixed yet. i would try to hire a good reliable mechanic to write down all the damages, get an estimate, and have him quote what caused the damages. see if your street light you were going through had a camera in place, not all do, but it's worth a shot. are there any local businesses around the light? find witnesses...i've been in a couple of car accidents where i wasn't hurt, but the police HAVE to come because it's their job. now, the fire truck and ambulance don't have to, but a member of law enforcement has to. i would file a complaint with the police station and set up a day in court with your insurance company to get this guy in for hitting you and he should pay for all damages and estimates.

Answer 5

without witnesses its your word against his. He also has to prove it. he will file a claim with your insurance who will in turn call and ask you about it. You tell them it was not your fault. You must contact his insurance company and file a claim. This will put it in the laps of the insurance companies. The fact that he hit you is a major plus in saying it was his fault. Its usually what they use to decide who is at fault when there is no other evidence. First things first, you file a claim against him and wait for your insurance company to call you. If he does not have insurance, you should have uninsured motorists on your liability plan. It will pay for your car.

Answer 6

If you have all the information of the other driver, you can sue him through the courts. Like small claims court.

Also you can sue the police department b/c they are supposed to come out to the scene no matter what. If they are called they can't deny you a report b/c there's no injuries. If you do sue them, note that you need to file a NOTICE OF CLAIM with the municipality within 90 days from the date of accident. If not you can't sue them.

Answer 7

you need to get the license plate number of the car that hit you. or a witness. you should have exchanged insurance information with the guy that hit you. if you didn't do any of those things then i think you are screwed. Call the police again and ask for the lieutenant. explain your situation and ask why they couldn't assist you with the wreck. they should have regardless of injuries.

Answer 8

The point of impact tells the story best. He hit the side of your car. If he "T-Boned it" (hit your car with his front bumper), it will be pretty clear who hit who.

Witnesses help but might be hard to find. Does the police department have surveillance cameras in the intersection? How about security tapes from local businesses?

Answer 9

I've noticed in a lot of places, the police no longer respond to most traffic accidents, supposedly because it's a waste of their time. As far as I know, the insurance companies are shouldering the burden of investigating most traffic accidents more and more.

Answer 10

Ok, as soon as you get hit you need to look for witnesses on the street and ask them for contact information so they can give statement and testify if needed. At this point what you can do is put up fliers if anyone saw the crash.