Leaving the scene of an accident

In Colorado, it’s the LAW that you move cars involved in accidents off the road…This IS a no-fault state…That being said, most people just reach for their cell-phone and dial 911 and the cars stay where they are until the police show up…In the wintertime, during snow storms, motorists are instructed to report accidents (in person) to the nearest police station “as soon as possible” after the accident and not bother the police unless people are injured…

Driving on the ill tollway today, there are signs that say: state law, move out of traffic lane for minor accidents, or something to that effect. I’m tired.

In my state “no fault” only pertains to the first stated amount of medical claims in an accident. If someone runs a red light or hits you from behind, they will be judged at fault for the accident. Their insurance only kicks in if after the “no fault” segment of your insurance is used up. The minimum stated coverage of $4500 is mandated by the state, as is liability insurance coverage. $4500 can easily be used up in one ambulance trip to the ER.

As far as moving the cars at the scene, I know I was told many years ago that the cars are not to be moved until after the investigation is complete. Lately I’ve known quite a few people who moved their cars out of the way and were not even lectured by the police. I’ve also come upon several accidents where the vehicles were left where they were hit to, even though they looked drivable.

In my state "no fault" only pertains to the first stated amount of medical claims in an accident.

That’s the way it is in every state. No fault has nothing to do with damage done to the vehicle(s).

Thank you for that clarification @MikeInNH. I had often wondered about that when I heard stories of people driving away from accidents they caused, claiming “no fault”.

@MikeInNH Great story. There are a number of people on the road at any one time that are invalid licenced or are uninsured. Not so much in states you need insurance to register a car. Recording the registration for your own notes is a great idea in general and in particular was a good protection for you.

Police will only do reconstruction if there is serious injury…
Two points. Each state, each local has their own procedures. Secondly, I have yet to be introduced to a doctor, parametric or anyone else remotely qualified to determine where of not serious injuries did occur who was there at the scene… A 'crick in the neck" can easly be a herniated or ruptured disc that is not and never should be decided upon by the participants of an accident. Few here are qualified to determine injuries nor are they qualified in the correct way of obtaining information by swapping license and insurance cars so each can record it correctly. This is only done after instructed to do so by a dispatcher who declines to send an officer for thier reasons and not your unsubstantiated guesses as to what it might be.

My son was rear ended too and the other driver gave him some info then left quickly. My son, not knowing what to do, left also. When he returned home, I told him we both were going to the police station to report the accident. Upon doing do, it was the other driver who was charged with leaving the scene. ALWAYS REPORT AND DON’t assume anyone here can tell you otherwise what to do.

Even the police who may be at the scence seldom decide for themselves if an injury is severe or not for anything other then a parking lot fender bender.

“There are a number of people on the road at any one time that are invalid licensed or are uninsured. Not so much in states you need insurance to register a car.”

How’s that? Would one example negate that? Insurance is required to register a car in Michigan. However, fairly recent estimates of uninsured drivers in Detroit range as high as 50%. Car insurance is very expensive in Detroit and many folks who need to be able to drive cannot afford insurance. Many insurance certificates are counterfeit and of the folks living there who do have insurance, many of them have falsified personal information to make it affordable. It’s common there to give the address of a non-Detroit relative as one’s own address in getting a driver’s license and/or insurance in order to obtain a lower rate.

Want to read a story about this Detroit problem?



CSA

NOT having insurance is one thing…having ENOUGH insurance is something else.

In NH I think the minimum for personal injury is $50k. If you were seriously injured that required an operation or two…$50k barely covers it. People have file for bankruptcy in this country because they were injured when another vehicle struck their car…and that person didn’t have enough coverage…and the person hit didn’t have health insurance.

And of course the person driving had no assets so they were considered judgement proof. And there are MANY MANY people driving around like that. If you have assets you better have enough coverage to cover them…or park your car and never drive it.

Some With Assets To Protect Can Get Adequate Coverage Through An Affordable Umbrella Policy.

CSA

MY worry about a large insurance policy is that it might make me an “attractive nuisance” for lawsuits. If I have state minimums (and do not project as wealthy otherwise), a potential plaintiff probably won’t magically develop a soft-tissue injury after the fact: lots of work for little payout. OTOH, if they know I have 500,000 liability limits–might be worth running it up the ol’ flagpole.

Also, seems to me part of the M.O. if you’re really wealthy is to “compartmentalize” your wealth behind corporations, trusts, and stuff, and force anybody attempting to bleed you dry to “pierce the corporate veil.”

"How’s that ?"
You need only look at the summons reports and the frequency of expired licences, that were on file at our department. often because they could not insure their car at the time. @MikeInNH reminded me of this during his incident with an accident with a driver with an invalid licence. It’s not unusual to assume there are a number of drivers with out a valid licences out there extrapolated from the ones that were actually found. If it happens in our state, I am positive it happend in other. At the end of the year, this summons information was published by the state and made available to local police departments. They had their licenced pulled for a variety of reasons for OUI to habitual offender etc. that did not stop many of these people from driving…and drinking and getting into accidents, speeding. I had one, a driver of an oil delivery truck who could not produce a valid licence which was suspended for habitual speeding offenses. The driver was doing 55 in a 25 with a loaded oil delivery truck and driving without a licence. This is not un usual. Offenders are often multiple offenders.

Some With Assets To Protect Can Get Adequate Coverage Through An Affordable Umbrella Policy.

I don’t know how it is in your state…but I couldn’t get an umbrella coverage until we upped the liability insurance on all our vehicles to $250,000/$500,000.

Also, seems to me part of the M.O. if you're really wealthy is to "compartmentalize" your wealth behind corporations, trusts, and stuff, and force anybody attempting to bleed you dry to "pierce the corporate veil."

My wife’s and my income puts us in the top 2%…and we can’t hide our assets that way. Only the very wealthy (top .05%) can do that. And people that wealthy don’t have insurance…they are self-insured

MY worry about a large insurance policy is that it might make me an "attractive nuisance" for lawsuits.

The problem with people NOT having enough insurance is they don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. They have nothing to loose…so if they cause an accident…too bad…they kill someone…“oh well”…person looses a limb…“not my problem”…Person injured doesn’t have health insurance…“too bad…not my problem”.

I’m a firm believer in EVERY vehicle on the road having insurance. Right now the minimum is far too low…the lowest should be $200,000/$400,000. When the current minimum limits were set…$50k would cover a lot of personal injury…now it barely covers a severe break.

“I don’t know how it is in your state…but I couldn’t get an umbrella coverage until we upped the liability insurance on all our vehicles to $250,000/$500,000.”

That is it, exactly in my state, but not that much more expensive than an inadequate car insurance policy. Everybody needs that much insurance as a minimum, anyhow, as far as I’m concerned.

Umbrella insurance is for people with assets to protect, a swimming pool, members who play golf, families with teenage drivers, etcetera, etc. A pamphlet from my insurance company listed 10 things that put one at greater exposure to liability risks. I had more than half of them. I live on a lake with ten foot water depths off my dining room in a canal, play golf (and not that good), had a teenager at the time, assets to protect, etcetera.

An umbrella policy is a real bargain as far as insurance is concerned and lets one get a good night sleep. The coverage kicks in, in addition to the $250,000/$500,000.

CSA

The Other Thing About An Umbrella Policy Is That Because The Insurance Company Has Skin In The Game, They Aren’t Going To Leave You Hanging. They’ve Got Many Folks On Hand To Help You.

CSA

I have a million dollar umbrella policy, 150/300 on car, never an attempt to upsell auto insurance.

State minimums here: 15/30/10. No appreciable assets–if you sue me and want my 21 y.o. truck with 188K to sell…take it! (I also have a fine collection of garbage-picked lawn equipment…)

I’ve got my Roth IRA, but that’s about it. Home is held in trust and I make my mortgage payments to it until it’s paid off.

State minimums here: 15/30/10. No appreciable assets--if you sue me and want my 21 y.o. truck with 188K to sell...take it!

So you don’t feel any MORAL obligation in making things right if you seriously injure someone in a car accident???

Cross that bridge when I come to it, Mike. I’m complying with the applicable laws of my Commonwealth. The best solution to your theoretical problem is to maximize skills so as not to wreck in the first place.

The People agree with me that any moral obligation has been discharged already by acquiring state minimum insurance. If I start feeling guilty, I’ll tithe or something…