Luckily, being involved in vehicle accidents outside of your home state itsn’t common; however, unfamiliarity with the area can increase your anxiety levels. Moreover, being unfamiliar with the laws of the state you’re in can lead to mistakes that could end up costing you even more. In reality, you should be somewhat familiar with the road laws when you’re visiting other states in case a ‘what if’ scenario occurs.
There are a general set of steps that you should follow regardless of where you’re in an accident. These include:
- Contacting 911 (including EMS if there are injuries)
- Photograph the accident scene and the vehicles involved
- Take down names of those around the scene
- Contact your insurance company
Problems arise when you don’t know exactly how insurance works in other states. This includes knowing where and how injury claims should be filed in the event of more serious accidents involving severe damage and/or injuries.
Insurance Claims
With insurance policies, you’re in luck—they usually cover all areas (at least for the US, US territories and Canada). This means if you’re from Tennessee and you’re on vacation in Texas or Toronto, you’re probably covered (you should, however, check your policy).
This means that you should have no issue reporting claims that occur out-of-town. Most likely, either your insurance company will assign you an insurance adjustor from your home state or from the area, your accident happened. This will depend on company policy.
If the damage to your vehicle is bad enough to need repair, and you decide to find a repair shop near where your accident happened, chances are your insurance company will still be able to provide you with towing support, mechanics to work on your vehicle and adjusters to answer any questions.
Injury Lawsuit Filings
If you or a loved one is injured in an accident out-of-state and you want compensation for the bills you incur, you need to know whether to file in your state or where the accident occurred. You will need to follow the laws set by the state where the accident occurs. Remember, each state has their own laws (including limitations and conditions). Any of these could affect your ability to be compensated.
You also need to think about statutes of limitation that may be in place. Therefore, you should make sure to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an accident.
For those living in Tennessee who have questions about accidents happening out-of-state, please call to schedule a free consultation with Tennessee car accident attorneys or continue browsing our blog and knowledge center for more information.
