Vehicle wreck

One of the worst experiences you can have inside of a car is to be in some sort of car accident. It does not matter whether you are at fault or not, the moments as an accident occurs, and the period afterward can be utterly miserable. However, things can get even worse when you discover that you have a medical problem because of the accident or that your vehicle has been damaged beyond repair and you are unable to pursue someone for compensation.

This is why it is always of the utmost importance to report even the tiniest vehicle accidents to the police as soon as they occur. Even if the other people in the accident flee the scene, when you report the incident it is far less likely to be blamed on you, and in some states that is a very big deal. Take the car accident laws in a state like West Virginia. Here, it is what is known as tort liability, which means that the fault for any car accident is decided by the police officers at the scene.

So, if you are involved in a West Virginia car accident, you never want to leave the scene. Instead, you need to make sure the incident is reported and that police officers appear on the scene to determine just who is charged with the incident and to be held liable for the financial damages relating to it.

Remember, damages are not just those done to the vehicle. There are damages relating to property, medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and so much more. This is why you want to be as responsible as possible after an incident, but you also want to be as proactive as you can be, too, and that means getting in touch with a West Virginia car accident attorney straight away, as well.

Getting Help From Experts

The reason you want an attorney as soon as possible after the incident is that your claim of innocence may be difficult to prove. Alternately, you may accept a portion of the blame, but feel that you are being charged with too much of the responsibility. In West Virginia, you will have to pay the percentage of the damages and claims that you are assigned. Obviously, if no fault is assigned to you, you pay nothing for the claims. However, you may hear the police officer say that you feel you are 70% responsible, and that you will be charged with that amount of the damages.

If you feel this is unfair or inaccurate, it is going to take the skill and knowledge of your West Virginia car accident attorney to combat the police officer’s claims and prove just how and why they are wrong.

Of course, you may also find yourself in need of pursuing the damages that were awarded to you at the scene of the accident, and a skilled attorney is your best resource at such a time.

Simple is Not Always Better

Though this tort liability does seem a lot easier than the accident laws in many other states, it can be difficult to overcome what you feel are inaccurate claims. This is why you must always get into touch with an attorney as soon as you can. At Heavens Law you can sit down for a no-cost initial consultation and discuss the details of your car accident. You will then be able to determine what the next step should be. Should you speak with the insurance company? Take the case to court? Figure out just what to pay? A good West Virginia car accident attorney will help you make the right choices.

Source

• DMV.org. West Virginia Personal Injury Laws. 2015. https://www.dmv.org/wv-west-virginia/automotive-law/personal-injury.php