What to Do if Involved in a Minor Accident and Blocking Traffic Flow

It is a beautiful day as you head to your last appointment. The sun shines brightly, the wind is calm, and the road you are traveling on has recently received a fresh coat of asphalt. You drive without a care in the world, that is, until the vehicle behind you hits your car. The impact is mild enough to cause a minor accident in which both parties appear to be in good health and both cars sustained relatively minor damage. All that you need to do is exchange information with the other motorist that includes insurance policy numbers and the names of your insurance companies. However, there is one glaring problem.

Both vehicles are blocking the flow of traffic.

Even with a minor car accident, the stress and confusion generated can lead to the making of poor decisions. Do you remove both cars from the accident scene to resume the normal flow of traffic or do you call 911 to activate the law enforcement system for responding to the scene of the car accident? The answer might lie in the statutes written into state law, but what if you do not know what the statutes want you to do? In most cases, removing both vehicles from the accident scene to resume the flow of traffic is the best option when responding to a minor vehicle collision.

One thing that remains the same after any type of vehicle accident is you should act with a sense of urgency by contacting a car accident lawyer. A minor accident resulting from a mild impact might not seem like it would cause considerable damage, but what you cannot detect right after a collision might become a major problem unless you have your car looked over by a certified mechanic. In addition to property damage, you might have sustained one or more injuries that produce delayed symptoms. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover the costs associated with a minor traffic accident.

Since 1988, the personal injury attorneys at Morgan and Morgan have helped clients recover the financial losses associated with vehicle collisions. We work with clients that got involved in a serious accident, as well as clients that walked away from a minor fender bender. Our personal injury lawyers have recovered more than $14 billion in monetary damages for clients, with a large percentage of the compensation coming from awards involving car accident cases.

Get the legal support that you deserve after any type of car accident by scheduling a free case evaluation today with Morgan and Morgan.

How Should I Proceed After a Car Accident and My Vehicle Is Blocking Traffic?

The way you handle the aftermath of a vehicle collision determines whether you receive compensation for any injuries and property damage sustained. How you react also determines how safe the accident scene is if your vehicle blocks traffic. If you get involved in a minor car accident and your vehicle blocks traffic, the steps you take after the crash are similar to the steps you take after any other type of auto collision, with one significant exception.

Call 911

You do not call 911 to report an emergency after a minor auto collision. Instead, you contact the nearest law enforcement agency to get help moving your vehicle, as well as securing the accident scene to prevent additional collisions. The police officer taking your call might recommend moving your vehicle according to state law. Some states have enacted statutes that clearly describe how a motorist should react after a car accident that blocks traffic.

For example, Iowa law states that “The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately remove the driver’s vehicle from the traveled portion of the roadway if the vehicle is operable and the removal can be achieved in a safe manner.”

Gather Physical Evidence

For a minor vehicle collision, law enforcement personnel focus on securing the accident scene to prevent additional collisions. Minor car accidents typically involve nothing more than exchanging information with the other motorist. You might not receive a copy of the official accident report because the accident caused minor injuries and damages. This means you should gather physical evidence such as photographs of the damage done to your automobile, as well as photos of tire tracks and the area surrounding the point of impact. Your personal injury attorney files a request to receive traffic camera footage if one or more cameras caught the accident on film.

Exchange Information With the Other Motorist

Although moving both vehicles out of harm’s way should be the priority after a minor auto collision that blocks traffic, you should not forget to exchange information with the other motorist. You should get the name, address, and phone number of the other motorist off an insurance card, as well as the name and contact information of the other driver’s insurance company. The other motorist also should give you the number of the motorist’s insurance policy.

Be alert to ensure the other motorist does not take advantage of the confusion generated while both parties move their vehicles to safer positions. The other motorist might drive away before you obtain contact and insurance information.

Receive Medical Care

Just because you got involved in a minor vehicle collision does not mean you did not sustain one or more injuries. Some injuries, such as bruises, whiplash, and a concussion often develop delayed symptoms that you might not detect, but a healthcare provider can diagnose by using an advanced testing machine. If you do not receive medical care, you cannot expect to receive compensation from your insurance company after any type of vehicle crash. You should hand over copies of your medical bills and records to the car accident lawyer that you hire from Morgan and Morgan. 

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at Morgan and Morgan

Even a minor car accident can cause injuries and property damage. After you receive medical care, contact one of the car accident lawyers at Morgan and Morgan to determine how to recover financial losses. The most likely way for you to receive compensation is by filing a claim with your insurance company. However, if the other party committed one or more acts of negligence that caused the vehicle collision, you might have a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.

When Should I Not Move My Car Out of Traffic?

Safety should be your main focus after a car accident. You want to make sure both you and the other driver are not seriously hurt, as well as take steps to prevent any additional collisions from happening at the accident scene. However, you might encounter one of several reasons why you should not move your vehicle out of traffic.

If moving your car makes the accident scene less safe, you should stay by your car until help arrives in the form of law enforcement personnel. You might have a passenger in your vehicle suffering from a serious enough injury that requires your car to remain stationary to stabilize the injury. For example, if a passenger sustained a whiplash injury, you want the neck and head to remain stable until medical personnel arrive at the scene.

You also have to consider the road conditions after a traffic accident. Perhaps you do not have enough room to move your car safely from the accident scene. This is a common reason when two vehicles collide while in heavy traffic. Both drivers do not have enough room to navigate their vehicles to a safe zone. If you smell an overwhelming odor of gasoline, you and everyone near the scene of the crash should move as far away from the accident scene as possible.

Another reason you might not be able to move your car is that even though you got involved in a relatively minor accident, the damage to your vehicle is severe enough to make it difficult, if not impossible to move your car. Wait for law enforcement personnel to arrive for directions on how and where to move your vehicle.

What Do I Look for in a Car Accident Lawyer?

Getting legal support is not just for more serious car accidents. You probably have suffered financial losses as the result of a minor fender bender. This means you need legal support to file an insurance claim and if you lost enough money, to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. You should know what you need to look for when hiring a car accident lawyer.

Proven Record of Success

Personal injury attorneys like to promote their years of success and although experience matters, you should work with a car accident lawyer who demonstrates achieving a proven record of success. Customer testimonials and the reviews left by clients on sites like Yelp and Google are strong indicators of the skill level of an attorney under consideration. The primary objective of the attorney that you hire is to get you compensated for financial losses.

Handles Your Case From Start to Finish

The car accident lawyer that you meet during a free case evaluation should be the same attorney who works with you for the remainder of your case. Some personal injury attorneys meet with a client during a free case evaluation, only to disappear until the time comes to receive payment for legal services rendered. They delegate legal responsibilities to paralegals and less experienced attorneys.

At Morgan and Morgan, the car accident lawyer assigned to your case provides support during every step of the legal process.

Responsive Communicator

The stress generated after a car accident can increase substantially if you hire a car accident lawyer who is a poor communicator. Not knowing the status of your case can produce more stress, as well as the fear of the unknown. You want to hire a car accident lawyer who responds to emails, phone calls, and text messages on the same business day. If you contact your attorney after business hours, your lawyer should get back to you first thing the next morning.

Learn more about how Morgan and Morgan helps clients receive the compensation they deserve after a car accident by scheduling a free case evaluation with one of our highly-rated attorneys.