Location: Riverside, California
My girlfriend and I were in a car accident last night around 12:50 am. We were going home on the freeway when the car to our right turns sharply into our lane not even to switch lanes but full on turns even though there was nothing for them to try to avoid hitting and we semi T-boned the other vehicle.
I couldn’t brake fast enough and all the airbags went off my girlfriend was knocked unconscious, I panicked because our car stopped in between the two middle lanes with the other car ending up on the carpool lane and I dragged my unconscious girlfriend out of the car screaming shouting her name assuming she had died.
There was one witness who saw everything happen and he stayed behind to talk to the police and even the witness told me he saw the car swerve into our lane so abruptly. He also mentioned the other driver was asleep in their car shortly after the accident happened.
Unfortunately I got no information from anyone other than one cop asking for my number.
I would like to know where do I go from here? Legally wise. We were in her car and I was driving it. We’re both bruised up and I have a twisted ankle, I will be out of work for a while (I deliver for Amazon, I’m constantly walking for work) but overall we’re doing very well and lucky to be here.
Obviously we’re gonna need our medical bills paid, ambulance trip paid, time off work paid. So much all at once. Do I contact my car insurance as well? Do we get a lawyer? I don’t know where to go from here .
Comments
First thing is get injuries checked out. Tlnext would be contact her insurance and they will guide you through the next steps.
Yikes, good to hear you both are ok. This could be a mess and take sometime. First, report to get insurance, if she has collision coverage, let her insurance handle the car.
If no collision coverage, then you’ll need to get the police report and contact the other person’s insurance. Always warn that when going through someone else’s insurance, they may not have enough coverage to pay for everything.
For injuries, your gf may have medical payments coverage on her insurance to convey initial medical bills. Health insurance can also be used. Then you’ll need to contact the other insurance for bodily injury claims.
I wouldn’t necessarily rush to an attorney until you know more about the other person’s insurance. Knowing their limits is useful, but they don’t need to release that in CA unless the other person allows it. You don’t need an attorney to make claims, but you can always get one of any issues arise.
Do not settle any injury claim until your injuries and treatment have resolved and you have all your medical bills.
You probably don’t need to contact your insurance. The reasons you would, would be because your gf doesn’t have collison coverage, but you do. Do you live together?
Or if you have medical payments coverage, but she doesn’t, so your bills can be paid there. Your insurance will get that money back against your bodily injury claims.