Walk It Through: The Fender Bender
A crash with real damage, a call to the police, names exchanged, and no pay no play.
Two cars collide at an intersection in town. Nobody is hurt, but both bumpers are crushed.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A two car crash in town with no one badly hurt. A crash in an evacuation zone, an impaired driver, and the lawsuit itself are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Hit and run drivingIntentionally failing to stop at the scene of an accident, give one's identity, and render reasonable aid.
- No pay, no playThe rule that an owner or driver without liability coverage cannot recover the first $100,000 of bodily injury or the first $100,000 of property damage from a crash.
- Notice of noncomplianceThe notice an officer issues when a driver cannot show proof of insurance, along with the impound of the vehicle and removal of the plate.