Rear-end car accidents occur regularly in Utah, but you seldom imagine that you would be involved in one yourself. When it happens, you may not know how to react or what to say; this is understandable. People often call our office with questions like: “Someone rear-ended me, what do I do?” Below are some steps you can take to make sure you handle your accident correctly and not put yourself at fault for the accident.

Stop

Utah Statutes Section Section 41-6a-401.7 requires all drivers involved in accidents that have led to either vehicle damage, injury, or death, to stop at the accident scene. Mostly, a rear-end collision only cause property damage. However, if it results in any injuries, the drivers involved have an obligation to obtain medical assistance. If the accident has only caused property damage, the vehicle drivers should pull their cars on to the side of the road to avoid obstructing traffic flow.

Report

Utah Statutes Section 41-6a-401.4 requires any drivers involved in a vehicle accident that results in damages exceeding $2,500 to notify the authorities about the accident. 

Exchange

According to Utah Statute Section 41-6a-401.3a, drivers involved in an accident that results in property damage have to give their name and address to all parties involved in the accident. You also need to provide your driver’s license, registration, and insurance, if available. 

All the information provided is used to help facilitate the process for drivers, depending on who’s at fault, to seek compensation for property damage and injuries sustained therein. Due to this, every driver should provide and request all necessary information about the other driver(s) involved before leaving the accident site.

Gather 

Generally, people think that the driver who rear-ends the car in front is automatically deemed at fault for the accident; however, this is not always the case. When collecting compensation for damages and injuries suffered, the insurance company only places value on what each party can prove. 

Because of this, any driver involved in a rear-end vehicle collision should gather as much evidence of how the accident took place. Among things you could use to gather evidence are: