In most cases it’s fairly obvious who is at fault in an accident, other times it can be confusing. Think about it this way, if you’ve ever been in an accident it can feel like everything is a huge blur. Everything happens so quickly that your brain has almost no time to work all the scenarios out. Was my light red? Did I use my blinker? Was that car there the whole time? We hear this all the time at our shop while helping customers that this just happened too.

First Things to Do After an Accident

-Call the police to have them come complete an accident report (not 911, unless there are life-threatening circumstances)

-After you’ve made that call and you know everyone involved is okay, get names and phone numbers of witnesses

-Snap a few pictures of the scene and all the cars that were involved, also take pictures of all 4 corners of your car (this helps insurance companies)

Provide A Good Statement

Even though it’s difficult, try and prepare yourself to provide a really solid story of what happened. The insurance companies will come to a conclusion of who’s at fault through your statement, the evidence they’re provided, as well as pictures of the damage.

An 80/20 Settlement

In some cases, the insurance companies may decide that both parties had some part in the accident. For example, let’s say Driver A stops abruptly and Driver B runs into Driver A. Because Driver A’s actions in some ways caused the accident Driver A might need to take some responsibility for the accident too. This is called an 80/20 settlement or a split claim. Now the percentages can change depending on the accident but the proper proportion will be settled between insurance reps., but keep in mind once you settle you can’t take any further action. Below is a video that further explains 80/20 settlements. Remember to buckle up and stay safe out there! Thank you for reading.