What To Do After a Car Accident When It’s Not Your Fault? [Arizona]

Understanding what to do after a car accident that’s not your fault is essential for protecting your rights and ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve. Follow these steps to navigate the aftermath of an accident where you are not at fault. But first let’s dive into what does “fault” means in a car accident.

What Is Fault in a Car Accident?

Fault in a car accident is the responsibility for causing the collision. So the person who is at fault is financially responsible for any damages or injuries resulting from the accident. The at-fault driver’s insurance usually covers the costs.

Steps To Take After a Car Accident That is Not Your Fault

As each accident is different, various steps need to be taken to ensure you are not wrongly blamed and to secure the compensation you deserve. Following these steps can help you navigate the process effectively.

A car accident lawyer will be able to advise you on your rights and walk you through the process of dealing with insurance companies and filing a claim.

And, remember, there is a statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim. You must adhere to this timeframe, or you will forfeit any right to compensation.

To handle a car accident that’s not your fault in Arizona, you will need to follow a series of steps.

Step 1: Follow Your Doctor’s Orders

Immediately after the accident, seek medical attention if you are not already receiving emergency medical services. Ask for a full check-up, including scans, if possible. Tell your doctor that you have been in a car accident and that you need to know if there are latent or small injuries that might become worse in the next few days. Ask your doctor for a full medical report, including their prediction of your care needs in the future regarding injury recovery, long-term healing, or disability. These details will be essential in building your Arizona car accident insurance claim.

Step 2: Gather Evidence

If you are able, capture everything about the scene of the accident. This first-hand evidence can be essential later when insurance companies are trying to prove how the accident happened and who was at fault. You can collect this information personally or ask others to collect it for you if you are unable.

Here is a list of the documents and evidence it is useful to collect on the scene:

• The other driver’s:
  • Full name
  • License plate number
  • Driver’s license number
  • Insurance provider
  • Insurance policy number
• Photos of the scene:
  • Before cars are moved
  • After cars are moved
  • Damage to the cars
  • Immediately visible injuries
• Witnesses:
  • Names
  • Contact information

Step 3: Speak to a Car Accident Lawyer

After a car accident, your three most important concerns are 1) medical care, 2) evidence, and 3) proving you are not at fault. Arizona is an at-fault insurance state, so the person at fault has the most to lose, and even being identified as partially at fault can be dangerous. A skilled Phoenix car accident lawyer can help you take the next steps to secure your rights after this accident.

Step 4: Report the Accident

Don’t accept fault at the scene or when talking to any insurance agency, even your own insurance provider. If you know that you were driving carefully and the other car did something dangerous or reckless, stick to what you know. Maintain your side of the story and don’t let anyone convince you to change your story just because it’s convenient for them.

Step 5: Save All Documentation

Insurance companies often have a set of tactics they use to minimize a victim’s injury. They will argue that your injury is not that severe, that it won’t take that long to heal, or that you won’t need any relevant therapies to aid in your recovery. Sometimes, they will even recommend that you see a specific doctor to provide further proof. Do not go. Always go to your personal doctor or an unconnected medical provider to get an objective report of your injuries.

Step 6: Watch What You Say

Don’t say “I’m sorry” where others can hear you at the accident site or afterward. It can be taken as an admission of guilt by the other driver, insurance providers, or police on the scene. Even if all the evidence points to you not being at fault, saying “I’m sorry” can be used against you.

Step 7: Check Your Dash Cam Footage

If your vehicle has a dash camera, collect the footage of the accident. While most dash cams do not have a perfect 360 perspective around the car, it is often possible to prove that your vehicle was moving carefully and correctly and show signs of the other vehicle behaving dangerously or negligently just before the accident.

How Can an Arizona Car Accident Lawyer Help When You Are Not at Fault?

A car accident attorney will protect you from being blamed and fight for your right to a full settlement. Your medical bills aren’t your fault, and neither are your car repairs. You shouldn’t be left with debt and expenses as a result. Hutzler Law is a top-rated Phoenix personal injury law firm that helps victims of accidents and injuries recover and get the compensation they deserve.

Call us at 602-730-4530 or reach out through our online form to book your first consultation.

Taking the Right Steps When You’re Not At Fault

What to do after a car accident that’s not your fault is an important process. In order to protect your rights to full compensation and your financial future if you suffered injury, you will need a clear strategy and support from a skilled Arizona car accident lawyer.

The attorneys of Hutzler Law are dedicated to helping victims of accidents and injuries recover and get the compensation they deserve. When a car accident isn’t your fault, insurance companies may still try to offset some of the blame – and the burden – onto you. We’re here to keep that from happening.

Hutzler Law is a top-rated Phoenix personal injury firm. Contact us today for your initial consultation by calling 602-730-4530 or reach out through our online form.

Jason Hutzler

Jason Hutzler is the founding partner of Phoenix personal injury law firm Hutzler Law, and represents individuals throughout Arizona. His practice is primarily dedicated to personal injury and car accident claims, leveraging his deep expertise as a former insurance adjustor to navigate the complexities of insurance negotiations.