car accident attorneys

Wilkes-Barre, Sugarloaf and Hazleton, Pennsylvania

Frequently Asked Questions

• What if the other party involved in the accident doesnt have insurance?
• What should I do if the insurance adjuster for the other driver keeps calling me?
• What if I dont want to have to go to court, but I dont want other parties to get away with the damage and injuries they caused me?
• How is fault determined after an automobile accident?
• Who is liable if my car is rear-ended?

What if the other party involved in the accident doesn’t have insurance?

You may be covered even if the other driver doesn’t carry insurance if you have uninsured motorist coverage. This portion of your insurance premium is for just such an occasion.

Unfortunately, even though auto insurance is required in Pennsylvania, there are a lot of people who ignore the law and drive uninsured anyway. While you aren’t required to purchase uninsured motorist coverage in Pennsylvania, it is a good idea to do so just so you have protection in cases like this. Uninsured motorist coverage pertains whether you are the driver, passenger, or pedestrian who is hit by an uninsured motorist. It also applies in hit-and-run cases, since you don’t know whom to make a claim against.

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What should I do if the insurance adjuster for the other driver keeps calling me?

Never speak to another party’s insurance company until you have discussed your case with an experienced car accident attorney in the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania area. Insurance companies are looking out for their interests, not yours. To that end, they are trying to pay out as little as possible even if the accident was their insured’s fault, not yours.

An auto accident attorney can tell you whether you should talk to the other party’s insurance company and what things you should or shouldn’t say to protect your own interests.

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What if I don’t want to have to go to court, but I don’t want other parties to get away with the damage and injuries they caused me?

Fortunately, most auto accident cases never go to court. They are usually settled long before there is ever a trial.

The rare cases that do actually go to trial do so because the faulty party’s insurance company refuses to settle the claim for what it is really worth. So chances are that you won’t have to go to court if you file a suit.

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How is fault determined after an automobile accident?

Fault is determined by figuring out who was careless. The rules of the road can help to determine this such as when a driver runs a red light and causes an accident. Other times, determining fault is more difficult, such as when two cars merge into the same lane at the same time and collide with each other.

Witnesses can also be used to help determine fault. Maybe someone witnessed the other driver taking on a cell phone or driving erratically. Such eyewitness accounts can shed light on who was being careless in the auto accident situation.

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Who is liable if my car is rear-ended?

It is almost always the fault of the driver who rear-ended you because they are supposed to follow at a safe distance to allow enough room for stopping. Besides, the damage to your rear end and their front end will show that you were rear ended and therefore not liable.

If, however, the car behind you stops without incident, but then a third car hits the middle car and pushes it into yours causing rear end damage, the insurance company of the driver of the third car will be liable for damages to both other cars.

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If you have been involved in an auto accident and need an experienced car accident attorney on your side, please contact The Falvello Law Firm today. The Falvello Law Firm serves clients in Hazleton, Sugarloaf, Wilkes-Barre, Berwick, and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.