If you’re wondering what’s the best example of one of the most contradicting concepts in life, accidents are probably up there. Despite their unpredictability, everyone expects that accidents are bound to happen anywhere at any time. Because they’re expected, preparing yourself ahead of time can easily reduce their impact from few to none.
As long as you stay on the road, you’re at high risk of getting involved in a car accident. Whether you’re the victim or the one at fault, the open road is a significant danger zone that can leave anyone affected one way or another. While practicing proper road etiquette and safety measures could reduce the risk of a road accident, they still don’t completely remove the possibility of being harmed.
Why Car Accidents Happen
Car accidents are highly unpredictable because of the many ways they can happen. Here are some of the leading causes of road accidents:
- Problematic Driver
Because they’re operating the vehicle, drivers are responsible for everyone’s safety, be it the passengers inside the car or pedestrians and other drivers on the road outside. That’s why drivers often need help from car accident lawyers at Raphaelson & Levine and other law firms.
In many cases, drivers typically become ‘problematic’ if they’re distracted or influenced by substances. As these interfere with their focus, their driving performance is sure to be affected negatively. The same goes if they’re not licensed to drive.
- Harsh Weather
Even when you’ve listened to the news before going out, the weather is still unpredictable at times. When it’s reported to be a sunny day, eventually, rain showers might come to ruin that prediction. Driving on the road while raining is a safety hazard as your vision is obstructed and the road gets slippery from the rainwater or snow.
- Road Defects
A flat road means little disturbance could affect your vehicle. However, if you drive over a rather deep pothole or unusual bump on the road, you could lose control of the vehicle or damage your tire, both endangering you and other motorists.
- Vehicle Malfunction
Just like any machinery, your vehicle is bound to wear out faster the more frequently you use it. For instance, old tires worsened by shallow tread depths can cause you to slip on wet surfaces. There could also be an inherent defect in your car like a high center of gravity which can cause it to easily roll over at the minutest sign of losing control.
What If You Don’t Have Insurance?
In the event of an accident, you wouldn’t want to find yourself without insurance. Here are the effects of such:
- Compensation Issues
While some are lucky enough to only receive scrapes and bruises, others get the short end of the stick when injuries leave them in a life-threatening situation: They’re incapacitated for a long period, even a lifetime.
If you’re insured, you’ll have no problem getting your hospital bills covered quickly. If you’re not insured, you’d have to either pay for your bills or hope that the driver at fault’s insurance can cover you or that he has enough resources to compensate you. If you’re at fault, again, your insurance can save you from having to pay out-of-pocket because, this time, no other party to the accident can be made to compensate you. In certain states, when you have no auto insurance, you’re likely not to receive anything even from the driver at fault or get limited compensation enough only for your medical bills but not for non-economic damages.
- Material To Lawsuits
When a car accident leads to a lawsuit, insurance coverage plays a big role in determining how much the driver at fault pays for out-of-pocket. Essentially, the type of coverage is the determining factor, It’s applicable to both the hospitalization bills and damage costs.
- License And Registration Regulation
When you don’t have auto insurance, and involvement in a car accident exposes such a fact, you could get a ticket that mars your record. In the worst cases, your registration can be revoked, and your license can be suspended for months. In any case, not having auto insurance is penalized in various forms.
Conclusion
Considering how unexpected life is, it’s safe to say that accidents are often right around the corner. Therefore, if you’re looking for security, having insurance is meant to act as your safety net. Otherwise, you’ll be left staggering under the weight of the aftermath of your accident. Worse, that weight can get much heavier if other people are involved.
