Many people go on out-of-state road trips once in a while to visit tourist attractions and vacation spots, like the Mammoth Cave National Park and Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. For a lot of tourists, the drive makes the trip more enjoyable. Unfortunately, no matter how safely one drives, other factors beyond one’s control can lead to a vehicle collision.
If you are involved in a car crash in another state, it might confuse you as to what to do first. What laws will apply? What exactly should I do first?
Take note of these steps
Fortunately, the initial steps to take if you are involved in a car crash are almost the same wherever you are in the country. If you find yourself in an out-of-state vehicle collision, you can do the following:
- Call for medical help: The first thing to check in car crashes is if there are people, including yourself, who got hurt. It is also best to call paramedics in case of injuries beyond what the human eye can see.
- Reach out to the police: Police officers can assist involved parties in assessing the incident. Moreover, police reports serve useful later on when seeking compensation.
- Gather evidence: Parties should take note of the names of all involved individuals, vehicle types, plate numbers, witnesses and all other relevant evidence that the police and insurance companies may ask for later on.
Kentucky car laws
If you find yourself in a vehicle crash in Kentucky, it is helpful to know that the state is a no-fault state when it comes to car insurance claims for nonresidents. This means that regardless of who is at fault, each party must claim from their respective insurers.
In terms of lawsuits, Kentucky is a “pure comparative fault” state, meaning that if you are partly at fault, the court will deduct the percentage of your fault from the total damages you can recover.
Moreover, Kentucky has a deadline for filing a car accident lawsuit, which is one year from the time of the incident for personal injuries and two years for property damage.
Know your rights
Just because you are a tourist visiting the state where the crash occurred does not mean you have fewer rights than its residents. Knowing what initial steps to take and how state laws may affect your claim can help you make your first step.