One of the most scary things to experience is a car accident. Your whole life flashes before your eyes. Many people have gotten into an accident in their lifetime. It doesn’t make it any less traumatic. It’s especially frustrating when you did not cause the accident. The other driver was negligent and their negligence is completely out of your control. Even though it wasn’t your fault, now you have to deal with the consequences. It’s essential to know how to report a car accident. You should also know the minimum liability coverage that California has for drivers as well as new laws put in place this year that impact drivers.
How to report an accident
If you are involved in an accident where any person is injured or dies as a result of it, then you must submit a written report within 24 hours to the California Highway Patrol. This includes not only drivers and passengers, but also pedestrians or anyone who may have gotten hurt or killed in the accident. You must also notify the DMV within 10 days of the accident if there is any type of injury or if there is vehicle or property damage in excess of $750. This applies to any injury even if it is minor. Property damage means the damage of real property such as a building or a house.
Minimum Liability Coverage
The California law dictates the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage a driver must have. For the injury or death of any person in an accident, you must have coverage of at least $15,000. You must have $30,000 in coverage for the injury or death of more than one person in the accident that you caused. For damaged property, you must have $5,000 in coverage. It’s important to know that this liability doesn’t apply to your own personal injuries or vehicle damage caused by the accident.
New Laws in Place
This year, there have been several laws put in place that impact California drivers. The first effects the use of cannabis in vehicles. Drivers and passengers cannot smoke or consume marijuana products while driving on riding in a motor vehicle. If you violate this, you will receive driver negligent points. If they caused an accident while using marijuana, then it would provide evidence for negligence. Rideshare drivers cannot have blood alcohol level of .04 or more when there is a passenger inside the vehicle. This holds them at high safety standards. The DMV will suspend their license if they are found with that alcohol level content.
Getting into a car accident is a traumatic experience. Now you have to deal with the aftermath, even if you didn’t cause the accident. It’s unfair when the other person’s negligence has caused the accident. They need to be held liable and accountable for it. You need an expert car accident attorney in Los Angeles on your side. The legal team at Compass Law Group, LLP will provide you with aggressive representation and personal attention to your needs.
