Many accidents that happen every day in America are what we call “fender benders” and ruin the day, but happen without personal injury. Some fender benders happen when it’s only your car involved. These can happen anywhere and have happened to so many of us. In many cases, there are no injuries in these single-car accidents, but the property damage alone is still traumatizing.
You can be just as overwhelmed in a single-car accident as you can be in a multi-vehicle accident with multiple injuries. Do you need to report it? In California, yes, unless the damage is minimal. At Arash Law, every single California car accident claim that we address starts with questions just like this. If you aren’t sure what to do after a car accident, call our car accident claims attorneys at (888) 488-1391 for a free review of your claim.
What Is a Single-Vehicle Accident?
A single-vehicle accident is an accident that only involves one car. It’s for those times a deer runs in front of you, you back into something, or just crash due to your own error or accident conditions. No other cars or parties are involved. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that in 2019, approximately 53 percent of deaths from car accidents in America were the result of a single-vehicle crash.
The state of Maine has the highest number of single-vehicle crashes in the nation, with 68 percent of fatalities in Maine occurring during a single-vehicle crash. Nebraska leads in the highest percentage of deaths in multiple-vehicle accidents at 57 percent. We know these numbers because these accidents were reported.
Determining Fault in a Single-Vehicle Collision
California is an at-fault state when it comes to car accidents. In a single-vehicle crash, there are no other drivers to investigate for fault. That means that you would be the party responsible for 100 percent of the damages. The most common causes of single-vehicle accidents are:
- Speeding
- Driving while drowsy
- Drunk driving – Every 2 minutes, someone in America is involved in a drinking and driving crash.
- Distracted driving – 1 in 4 car accidents is caused by distracted driving, illegal in the state of California.
- Bad weather
- Driver error
- Age – Teenagers are the most likely to be involved in single-vehicle accidents.
- High occupancy vehicles – Drivers are more likely to be distracted when driving with multiple passengers.
- Night driving – 54 percent of fatalities from car accidents happen at night.
When you are involved in a single-vehicle car accident, your insurance company will pay for all of the damages and personal injuries. If you have been in a single-vehicle accident and need help with your insurance company, call our record-breaking car accident attorneys at (888) 488-1391. If you are unable to call us directly, leave your information online, and our California speeding and car accident lawyers will review your case for free.
Should You Report a Minor Car Accident?
In many cases, you can just walk away from a car accident, have your car towed, and deal with the insurance fall-out as it happens. However, if the damages are more than $1,000, you will need to file a report with the DMV and the California Highway Patrol. It does not take much to experience car or body damage that exceeds $1,000 in California. If the damage exceeds $1,000, you can report the accident online using the DMV SR-1 Accident Reporting Form, and that must be within 10 days of the accident.
Additionally, if there are injuries, you will have to report the accident regardless of the cost of body damage. If you are injured, or anybody in your vehicle is injured, call the California Highway Patrol (CHP) or local police for help with your accident. They will complete the report and file it for you.
Your insurance company will want a copy of this report. They can get a copy of it from the CHP if you do not give them a copy of it yourself. Alternatively, your attorney will be able to get a copy of the report for you and give that to the insurance company.
When you have been in a single-vehicle accident, you will have a lot to do. At Arash Law, we help car accident victims handle all the paperwork and reporting as they process their insurance claims. Call our fender bender attorneys at (888) 488-1391 and get the process started today. You don’t pay unless we win!
Your Single-Vehicle Accident and Insurance
Whether or not your insurance will cover your single-vehicle accident depends on the kind of accident, any injuries sustained, and the level of property damage to your car. You are required to have bodily injury liability and property damage liability insurance, but this won’t be relevant in a single-vehicle accident. For your injuries, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or MedPay covers your medical costs.
If you have it, collision insurance will repair or replace your vehicle after your accident. Comprehensive insurance will cover any damages caused by any additional costs that may be incurred during the accident. If you hit an animal, for example, your comprehensive insurance will cover that damage.
If there is any damage at all to your vehicle, you should always file a claim. You should also file a claim if you have any medical expenses and have coverage for that. There are some costs to put a claim through on your insurance. You will see an increase in your insurance premiums to start. You will also likely have to pay a deductible.
Fatalities do occur in single-vehicle accidents, and so do serious life-altering injuries. You may also want to file death benefits if you are handling the insurance for a loved one after a vehicle fatality. It’s very important to get those first reports with the DMV and the CHP as clear and as detailed as possible. Every claim that you file with the insurance company has the potential to lead to some wrangling.
If you are having problems getting your insurance claims covered or are not able to do the legwork yourself, give us a call. At Arash Law Injury Lawyers, our award-winning California injury attorneys know that every car accident is a crisis that impacts you for the rest of your life. Call the fatal car accident lawyers at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 for a free consultation on the single-vehicle car accident that you are worried about. You are not out of pocket anything unless we win.
Avoid Single-Vehicle Accidents
Thousands of people die on the roads every day, and single-vehicle accidents comprise half of those accidents. They are called accidents because they aren’t supposed to. Still, there are a number of ways to avoid them. Driver error is a leading cause of single-vehicle accidents.
Be more cautious when you are driving, and take a zero-tolerance policy on distracted driving or drinking and driving. Distracted driving could lead to citations or charges to start, and it could also kill you. Develop your own protocol for both of those scenarios so that when the time comes to make that decision, you just don’t do it because you have a backup plan. Avoid swerving when you encounter an animal on the road.
Swerving leads to uncertainty on the roads and fatal accidents at the side of the road. You may have been the best driver for the past twenty years. It’s never too late to make your driving habits better habits.
Call a California Car Accident Attorney Today
Single-vehicle car accidents are as dangerous (sometimes even more so) than multi-vehicle accidents. You’ll need just as much help to get through the claims process with your insurance company. Our traffic accident lawyers at Arash Law have been representing car accident victims for decades. Call Arash Law at (888) 488-1391, and we can get the accident report process started for you. We can be there for you any day of the year, and you don’t pay until we win.
