Today i was involved in a collision. I was partly at fault, but i feel not intirely. The road was very?

MÃ¡ire SiobhÃ¡n

There are some choices to be made when a car insuance policy is taken out. Full coverage is more expensive and not usually required by law. Liability coverage is what's usually required by law, although if you are paying off a loan note on your car, your financing agent will require collision until the loan is paid. This is so you keep the body of the car in good condition in case they have to reposses it and sell it at auction. They don't want a beat up car back from you in that case.

If you have full coverage it will include what's called "collision" coverage. That is what is used to repair your car, regardless of whose fault the accident was. That's the coverage where you may have a deductible, which is the portion you have to pay to get your car fixed under your own collision policy. A deductible can be $0, but often it's $100 or $500. Check your policy, or ask your agent about what you carry.

If the accident was only your fault, then your insurance may also end up paying to have the other person's car fixed. That's done under your "liability" coverage, which usually is composed of "property damage" and "bodily injury". Obviously the other person's car would be fixed under your liability / property damage portion. If the other driver and any of his/her passengers claim injury and you were at fault, then their medical expenses are paid under your liability / medical payments.

The terms of your policy usually specify that will not make any statements to other drivers, police, etc., about an accident in which you are involved (as a driver or a passenger). This is because insurance companies usually will look for ways to say it wasn't their insured's fault, or at a minimum find a way to make it both parties fault. You can instantly become liable for an accident, and in some cases even jeopardize your own coverage, by saying things at the scene like, "I'm sooo sorry!!! I didn't see the other car!!!!" Just see if anyone needs help at the scene, and tell them you're too shook up to talk, and tell them to call your insurance company. If they persist, just play that over and over like a broken record. Give your statement later to your own insurance carrier and let them handle it. That's why you pay them.

Sometimes it's clear cut whose fault, in which case the responsible carrier will pay quickly to avoid an angry lawsuit, in which case the company would eventually end up paying more than they would have if they'd just quickly paid the claims they owe. These accidents, where your insurance carrier pays for another person's property damage and injuries, are the kind that will raise your insurance rates.

In many cases both parties can be at fault, and the insurance companies determine there is "contributory negligence" by all parties, and in that case each driver uses their own collision insurance to repair and their own "medical payments" coverage to pay any medical bills. Medical payments is different from the liability / bodily injury coverage. MP covers you no matter what. BI covers anyone you have injured. So each party in contributory negligence cases pays their own costs from the accident IF they carry the MP and Collision coverage. Those are not required by law to be carried (laws usually require liability only).

Often in cases where the roads are icy, snowy, etc., and there are hundreds of fender-benders in a short time, the companies will just all agree to paid their own person's repairs under collision. It's cheaper than battling out over whose fault it might be, and when the road conditions heavily contribute, and when the carriers are overwhelmed with claims, they just want to get them handled quickly. So if there are no injuries, they just all repair their own insured's collision damage under the collision coverage, and that's that. Doesn't raise your rates.

Again, rates usually only go up for "chargeable" accidents, which means "accidents for which you are liable for another person's damage or injury". I suppose several claims in a short time under your own "collision" coverage to repair your own car could make you an undesirable risk, in which case your rates might go up, or you might just be dropped by the carrier. Each carrier is different, but if that happens your next carrier will charge you more.

In some cases when the insurance companies are fighting it out and you want to move ahead with your car repair, each person can get their car fixed under their Collision, if they each carry it on them selves, and when the companies decide who was at fault, the liable carrier will reimburse the other part. Then you get your deductible back. This is called "subrogation".

Insurance is a very legalistic world, and everyone who drives should know what they carry for car insurance and what it covers and don't cover.

Chris B

You are at fault...entirely! It doesn't matter if you were travelling 20 KPH slower than the limit at all. You discern rate of speed by the road conditions! You were going too fast for the conditions of the road....period! The truck and the road are not at fault!

Kizzy

If you have collision coverage you should be covered no matter who's at fault.

chuckles.221983

R.P should keep his 5 cent comment...men are more likely to be in accidents than women...
I would wait till u lodge ur claim...its probably likly that u will be at fault

Dave

Insurances vary from state to state as far as I know, but if you are paying for full coverage I would expect them to cover your vehicle. Your insurance rates may go up and it may make more sense to pay for the repairs yourself in the long run, however.

entidtil

You should be covered. You had an accident, insurance covers accidents, slippery roads can contribute to the cause of accidents. You may have to pay a deductible but you should be covered.

CwboyBill

It doesn't matter whose fault it is -- collision coverage pays for the damage to your car unless you do it on purpose. Don't fret -- all you will have to pay is a deductible.

R P

Being a female, you should accept all responsibility.

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