just had a car accident what's next? not at fault.?

Question

late night at 11:30ish i was driving down the frwy back home i was doing 65 and had my cruise control on because there's barely any cars on the road. and some person from no where rear ended me aleast at 85-90+mph push me from 65mph to 70+mph in to another lane luckly i didnt lose control of the car and after he hit me he try to run away i quickly realize that he's try to get away so i chase after him for 20 mins (crazy story) but any way he cant get away and he drove back home while chase after him i called 911 and giving them the location and cops show up not long later. the guy was charged with DUI because he had too much to drink and hit and run and was taking to jail. i then tell every thing to the police and after that i went to the hospital because my back my neck and shoulder are all mess up. any way i just wanna know how you deal with some thing like this? the police told me he had insurance and i also have insurane on my car but just libility but with uninsured motorist. thx

Answer 1

First thing to do is call your insurance company and report the accident. They will ask for all the details you have and will contact the police to get a copy of the report.

They can tell you how to proceed from there.

You may have to get your own copy of the police report and file a claim with the other driver's insurance company yourself. That is usually not much more hassle than filing with your own company. You may be able to do it online.

Good luck. Be sure to document any medical expenses and problems you incur. You should be able to collect for those. If you are in any pain, go see a doctor ASAP. If you wait, the insurance company may try to claim later that your injuries aren't related to the accident.

Answer 2

Each state has different laws & policies regarding vehicle accidents & insurance.

If you are in California, you need to call your insurance agent and get a claim reported right away. They will let you know what to do based on the coverage that you have.

Once your company is able to verify the insurance of the other driver, they will determine if they will handle the claim with the other company on your behalf or if you will need to file directly with the other party's insurance company. Seeing as you do not carry collision or medical on your policy, I would expect that your company will not be able to get involved much and you will end up dealing with the other company.

Also, I would consider filing an injury claim with the city/county where the accident occurred. There is a statute of limitations on this (1 year, I think), so make sure to do this. The reason that I'd recommend this is because in some cases, an insurance carrier will not be as proactive as they could in paying for medical bills. If you don't file this claim and your case drags on for a long period of time and you are required to sue for damages, you may not be able to.

You will also need to file an SR1 with the DMV. Your insurance agent should be able to assist you with this.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Okay, he's charged with the DUI and the accident. Your next step is to call your insurance and get them involved. They will walk you through the process. They will (or should) file a claim against the DUI driver's insurance that should repair your car and pay ALL of your medical bills plus whatever work you miss.

Answer 4

Let your insurance company deal with it first. Usually they can take care of such issues. If they do not take care of the issue, you can pursue this matter in civil court against both the driver and his/her insurance company.

Answer 5

Talk to your insurance agent. They can get this all under control, they know what to do.
-Bill

Answer 6

First thing in AM. Call your agent.