Involved in a No Contact Crash? Here’s What You Should Do Picture this scenario: You’re riding your motorcycle on a two- lane road going about 40 mph. There is a truck in the lane next to you that merges into the lane in front of you without notice, causing you to swerve to avoid a collision. While swerving, you collide with a tree or curb instead, which causes damage to your motorcycle and possibly even to your body. What should you do? At Spada Law Group, we see incidents similar to this all of the time. They’re called “no contact” accidents or phantom accidents. They happen when one vehicle causes another vehicle to crash without actually colliding with them. In a situation where there’s no contact, it can be very difficult to determine who’s at fault for the crash. Sometimes the driver of the car doesn’t even know that they caused a “no contact” crash, and other times, they flee the scene to avoid criminal responsibility. This has left many people wondering what to do if they’re involved in a “no contact” crash. The first thing you should do, if you’re able, is call the police immediately. You need to describe in detail your version of what happened. Make sure the police report is completed, as it can help your case in the future. If you can get a description of the car or its license plate, it’s of the utmost importance that you pass that information along to the police. If you’re able to speak with those who are on the scene to provide assistance, ask if they saw the accident and if they’d be willing to give their side of the story to the police. A testimonial from an independent witness can be your best proof in these situations. “No contact” crashes can be incredibly hard to prove but we handle them regularly. It’s important that you speak to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident. If the driver of the other vehicle has been identified and it’s their fault, your lawyer can make a claim against that person and their insurance company. If the driver flees the scene or is unaware of the accident, you may be able to pursue a claim for money damages under your own underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage. If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle crash and have questions, please call or text us today.
What Happens If Y Medical Emergen Throughout August and into September, young adults will be heading off to begin a new semester at college. If you’re the parent of a college-aged student, have you ever thought about what you would do if they experienced a medical emergency? If they needed your help, do you know for a fact that you could help them? If your child is 18 years old or older, they are deemed to be an adult, and information about their health condition WILL NOT be given to you
without the proper legal documents in place. You may remember reading a similar article from me last year, but that just shows how important I believe this topic to be. When our kids become adults, we no longer
have access to their financial or medical records. If you were to call the hospital or their doctor, even for something relatively small like the flu or a
broken bone, the medical provider legally cannot talk to you. If they did, they would be violating HIPAA patient
Review of the Month
“No one ever says ‘I want to get mangled by a car.’ It’s an awful, life-changing event filled with emotions and uncertainty, as it was for my Dad, earlier this year. Reflecting now, Len, Robyn and the entire team were nothing shy of amazing! We never felt like we were working with a law office, we felt like family. Robyn and Len educated and helped us understand the things we didn’t know. On behalf of myself and my family, thank you to the entire team at Spada Law Group. My dad is forever grateful for your assistance! We all are, thank you!” –Kris M.
2 • SPADALAWGROUP.COM
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator