What to Do If You Are Involved in a Stop and Go Accident
Stop and go accidents can occur on any road and are more common than you may think. Drivers are more and more distracted by other things and do not pay attention to traffic in front of them as well as they should.
In areas of high traffic concentration, such as here in Atlanta, these accidents happen all the time. When they do happen, it is important that you hire experienced legal professionals who can help you to determine who is at fault and to protect your rights.
Distraction is one of the causes of stop and go accidents. Other causes include drunk driving, speeding, pile-ups on the highway and tailgating (people have no time to react). Because these accident often happen at low speeds, these accidents may not seem like they are that dangerous, but even low speed collisions can result in serious injuries. On other occasions, these accidents occur when vehicles are traveling at higher speeds and cause even more serious injuries, such as whiplash, spinal cord injuries, fractures, head injuries and internal injuries.
Who is at Fault?
It is extremely important that you summon the police to the scene so that they can prepare a police report if you are involved in a stop and go accident. This report will provide a record of what happened and will be used by your insurance company and or your attorney to settle your claim against the driver who is at-fault. This early accounting of the accident will prevent you having to try and go back later and gather evidence that may very well be impossible to find.
You should request a copy of the report after you have had your injuries treated. If you cannot wait for the police, then you should gather the other person's information like their address, phone number, license plate number, driver’s license number, and the name of their insurance company. Also write down the names, phone numbers and addresses of any witnesses. If the accident resulted in significant damage to either vehicle or injuries of any kind, you should absolutely remain at the scene. For more details about what you are required to do after an accident, download our free auto accident checklist to print out and keep in your car by clicking here:
It is also important to have your injuries looked at right away by a medical professional and keep records of all of the diagnoses, treatments, and medications that you are given. This information may be very important later in determining the amounts of damages that you recover. Your injuries could also be more extensive than you initially realize.
Hiring an Attorney
Sometimes insurance companies do not play fair and will try and delay claims, lowball claims or outright deny claims. If you have an experienced auto accident attorney on your side, your personal injury attorney in Georgia can help because insurance companies will generally take the threat of a personal injury lawsuits more seriously.
If you have been injured by a driver in a stop and go accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The Georgia accident attorneys at Montlick and Associates has been helping those injured in stop and go accidents seek compensation for their injuries and loss throughout Georgia for over 39 years. Our experienced Georgia auto accident attorneys will work hard to get the best results possible in your case.
Montlick and Associates is available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.