Tiger Woods auto accident provides lessons
Unless you live under the proverbial rock, you have heard a lot about the recent Tiger Woods matter. The focus has now shifted from the initial news, which was an automobile accident, to the revelations about marital infidelity and his subsequent attempts to offer apologies to the world. I don’t think that Woods owes me an apology, but his fiasco got me thinking about the safety and insurance implications of a situation like that. Here are some things that the average driver can learn from this event that can make the roads safer for all of us.
Phantom Drivers
We don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding the one car collision, but the first thing we would like to cover is the uninsured motorist clause that is a part of most automobile insurance policies. In the Woods case, he was ultimately cited for careless driving and made no contention that anyone else was involved. However, there are single driver accidents that are caused by another driver who flees the scene and is never held accountable or cited. For instance, if a car was to run you off the road, or to cause you to swerve to avoid a collision as they drove toward you on the wrong side of the road, you may be entitled to a damage reward under the uninsured motorist clause in your insurance policy. Don’t assume that you are without recourse if you are the victim of a motorist who causes an accident and flees the scene.
Cars Are Not Toys
When you are charged with the responsibility of helping people who have been the victims of injury accidents, you become acutely aware of how dangerous and even deadly an automobile can be. Drivers will do things behind the wheel of a two ton projectile hurtling down the roadways at seventy five miles per hour that are incredibly dangerous. These same people would never think of jeopardizing the safety of others at any other time, but when they are driving, all bets are off, especially when they get angry. No matter what is going on in your life, there is no excuse when you lose respect for the potential dangers that exist when you are driving. Never take out your anger on someone who is driving, whether you are in the car with them or driving behind or alongside of them. Keep in mind the gravity of the damage that you can cause and ask yourself it is really worth it.
Don’t Assume
No matter how the circumstances may appear to you at the time of an accident, it is always advisable to contact an attorney as soon as possible. There are many nuances to the law that the layman would really have no way of knowing, and there is no reason to go it alone and make assumptions when you can always get good advice from your local family lawyer.