What to Do if You’re in a Car Accident in your Rental Car
Most of the time, we drive our own vehicles in our home state, covered by our own personal car insurance. If we get into a car accident, we have a reasonable idea of how our car insurance will protect us. But what happens when you get into a car accident while driving a rental car?
What to do if you’re in a car accident in your rental car
For the most part, a person should follow the same protocols that they would if they were in a car accident in their own vehicle. This includes:
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Do I Need to Keep an Information Exchange Form in My Car in Case of a Car Accident?
An information exchange form is typically used by police officers after they have determined that your car accident is “non-reportable” because no serious or known injuries have occurred and damage to vehicles appears to be less than $1,500. Drivers are not required to keep an information exchange form in their vehicles just in case they are in a car accident but it could come in handy in situations where police do not respond to the accident or police officers are not called. The bottom line is that driver information needs to be exchanged whether or not the police are called to the scene.
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What to Do if Your Loved One is Killed in A Car Accident
It’s a nightmare scenario: you’ve just received a call that you partner or child has been killed in a car accident. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, more than 37,000 people die in car accidents in the United States every year. You will understandably be feeling overwhelmed with grief and shock after receiving this call so it’s important to know what to do before it happens.
What to do if your loved one is killed in a car accident
After receiving the news here is what you should do:
- Get down to the scene of the accident.
- Call the police if they aren’t already there or on their way.
- Take pictures of the scene including skid marks, property damage and both vehicles from multiple angles.
- Speak to any witnesses and take notes. Preferably, allow the police to speak to the at-fault driver.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer.
- Consider filing a wrongful death claim against the person responsible for the accident with the help of a wrongful death attorney. The wrongful death attorney will be well informed about wrongful death claims in your state. Read our post about who can file a wrongful death claim in Washington State: https://www.tariolaw.com/who-can-file-a-wrongful-death-lawsuit-in-washington-state/
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Dangers of Alcoholism – Leads to Drunk Driving and Drunk Driving Accident Victims
According to the gatewayfoundation.org, alcohol is the most common addiction substance in the United States. Studies show that binge drinking over a period of time can cause serious health problems, including chronic diseases and a shortened life span. In the short term, alcohol impacts a person’s judgement and often leads to drunk driving and driving under the influence (DUI) arrests. Alcohol-related car accidents cost taxpayers $100 billion a year and thousands of lost lives.
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30 Cars Involved in Icy Road Car Crashes on Floating Bridge
As reported by King5.com, 30 cars were involved in icy road car crashes in the westbound lanes of the SR 520 floating bridge on Monday night, January 13, 2020. There were multiple crashes involving the 30 motor vehicles. As a result of the car accidents, westbound lanes were closed around 6 p.m. and didn’t reopen until 10 p.m. Calls were made to Washington State Department of Transportation to de-ice the roadway. Washington State Patrol troopers and the Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene. A trooper tweeted that there were no major injuries.
If you were injured in an icy road crash because of the negligence of another driver, seek the help of a local car accident lawyer who can discuss your legal rights. The accident attorney may be able to help you seek a fair settlement.
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The NSC Estimates 163 Traffic Accident Deaths for the 2020 New Year’s Day Holiday Period
The National Safety Council estimates that 163 people will die in traffic accidents on U.S. roads this New Year’s Day holiday period. Many people choose to gather with friends and family to celebrate the new year and alcohol is almost always involved. More people traveling on the roads combined with more people consuming alcohol, is a recipe for increased traffic accident deaths.
Because New Year’s Day 2020 falls on a Wednesday, the holiday period will last 1.25 days, between 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 31 and 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, January 1. Most years, the New Year’s holiday period lasts longer because it gets combined with a weekend. Years with an extended holiday period come with the risk for more traffic fatalities.
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Christmas Holiday Traffic Accident Estimate for 2019
The National Safety Council (NSC) has estimated that 115 people may die on U.S. roads this Christmas Day. Generally speaking, traffic accidents increase on holidays because there are more people traveling on the roads to visit with family and friends. (If people are close enough to drive – say within four hours – they are likely to choose traveling by motor vehicle). On top of this, more people consume alcohol on holidays as they gather to celebrate with loved ones. Increased road traffic and drunk drivers are two of the biggest contributors to traffic accidents.
Because Christmas Day 2019 falls on a Wednesday, the holiday period will last 1.25 days, between 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 24 and 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, December 25. Most years, the Christmas holiday period lasts longer because it gets combined with a weekend. Years with an extended holiday period, come with the risk for more traffic fatalities.
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Reminder: WA State’s New Car Seat Law Goes into Effect January 1, 2020
On April 19, 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed updated car-seat and booster seat laws for Washington State to better protect children in car accidents. We are issuing a reminder that the updated law goes into effect on January 1, 2020.
The American Academy of Pediatrics updated their recommendations for car and booster seat usage in March of 2011 and then published these updated recommendations in August, 2018. The law in Washington State will catch up to the recommendations this coming year.
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School Bus Recall Affects 53,528 Buses Nationwide
Thomas Built Buses announced in October that it is recalling 53,528 buses nationwide to fix a problem with seats that don’t meet federal regulations for leg protection if a crash occurs. Specifically, the seats may have been manufactured with styrene blocks that may not provide acceptable impact absorption in some areas around the steel seat frame of the back support. The recall was filed Oct. 4, 2019 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigations. According to the recall notice, there have not been any reports of injuries related to the defective seats. Official notifications are scheduled to be sent out Dec. 2, 2019.
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What Would It Look Like if Cars Could Stop Drunk Driving?
According to a report by NPR.org, a team of bi-partisan senators introduced legislation last week that would require all new cars and trucks to come built with alcohol detection systems by 2024. The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone Act of 2019 (RIDE ACT), would also benefit government funded research into new breath and touch-based sensors that monitor a driver’s blood alcohol level in real-time to the tune of $10 million and allocate an additional $25 million to test and implement the technology in government-owned fleets.
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