Florida is a no-fault state when it comes to auto accidents. In other words, drivers are required to carry personal injury protection insurance to pay for their accident-related damages. Regardless, this still may not be enough to fully recover from your accident. Follow along to find out how insurance adjusters determine fault in a car accident and how a proficient Panama City car accident attorney at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you in reaching a fair settlement.
How do insurance adjusters determine fault after a car accident?
Even in no-fault states like Florida, the cost of damages is still subject to fault. That is, insurance adjusters will adhere to applicable state laws that define negligence to determine how fault will be assigned.
For example, say that another driver proceeded to make a left turn even though you had the right of way, and this ultimately led to your car accident. However, it is later discovered that you were driving above the speed limit at the time of your car accident. In this case, the insurance adjuster may assign 70 percent fault to the other driver and 30 percent fault to you. Meaning, you may only receive enough compensation to cover 70 percent of your total damages.
What other evidence do I need to establish fault after my car accident?
In addition to reviewing details about how your car accident went down, it may be helpful to the insurance adjuster if you provide them with site-specific evidence. And so, while you are still at the scene of your accident, and may be in your best interest to collect the following pieces of evidence:
- A copy of the accident report from the law enforcement officer that responded to your accident.
- A copy of the surveillance camera footage that shows the events of your accident.
- A copy of the red light camera footage that shows the events of your accident.
- Photos and videos that show the direction of movement of all the cars involved.
- Photos and videos that show any potential hazards that had a hand in your accident.
- Statements made by witnesses to your accident (i.e., passengers, pedestrians, or bystanders).
What if I do not receive a fair settlement after my car accident?
Insurance adjusters are notorious for distributing minimum payouts that do not fully cover car accident damages. And so, if you believe that you did not receive a fair settlement, you must fight back. With this, you may find that your insurance adjuster will begin to ignore you and stall until the statute of limitations passes. This is when one of the talented Panama City auto accident attorneys will step in. We will do everything in our power to help you reach a fair settlement agreement, so give us a call today.
