Reporting a Car Accident in Idaho

 

In Idaho, you are expected to report a car accident. The state law under statute 49-1301 states that drivers cannot leave the scene unattended in case of vehicle damages, injuries, or fatalities. If you fail to take this responsibility, you can be charged with a hit and run misdemeanour case. In case of pedestrians, motorists have a much bigger responsibility. In such cases, motorists are expected to offer legal, medical, and other forms of assistance, while being solely responsible for reporting the incident to the police. Be sure to take an official report from the police. If you have been involved in a serious car accident, you can also arrange a free consultation with a local Boise Idaho auto accident lawyer. Below are laws to build your legal defence investigation.

Comparative Negligence

Idaho is a no-fault insurance coverage state. What this means, unless you are at no fault, you and the other party will be competing with each other for insurance settlement. The legal framework in Idaho is based on comparative negligence. What this means is – your ability to recover your dues will be based on your comparative fault in relation to the other party as decided by the jury. So for example, if you have incurred damages worth $100,000, and the jury members decide that you were at 40% fault, you will receive $60,000 in compensation.

PIP Coverage

Many states require residents to purchase PIP or Personal Injury Protection as part of auto insurance. However, Idaho does not require you to do that. Furthermore, you can also wave off charges for the uninsured motorists, or drivers in Idaho. While this may come back to bit you in cases where you are at fault, the other person has sustained serious injuries, it can also mean fewer costs, if you are careful. The only mandated auto insurance forms in Utah include bodily injury protection ($25,000) $50,000 for accident coverage, and $15,000 for property damage.

As Idaho trusts drivers to choose, and penalizes them in the case of fault, after an accident, in order to claim a settlement, there is usually a thorough investigation required. This means you will need to speak with expert witnesses, take pictures of the collision site, get video footage from the other car, if possible, and lots more. You will also need to gather reasonable estimates for your repairs, medical costs, and other costs like loss of income, psychological damage, and more.