Walk It Through: The Crash at the Light
A rear end collision, a sore neck, names and licenses exchanged, a written report, and the time to sue.
At a red light in Cranston, a car is rear ended. The driver behind gets out; the driver in front has a sore neck.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
Two cars and one injury. A driver who was drinking, a death, an uninsured driver and the insurance claim 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.
- Leaving the sceneFailing to stop and stay at a crash that injures someone or damages an attended vehicle. With vehicle damage only it is a misdemeanor of $500 to $1,000.
- Rendering aidThe duty of a driver in a crash to give reasonable help to anyone injured and to notify the police by the quickest means available.
- Serious bodily injuryInjury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes lasting loss or impairment of a body part or organ, or serious permanent disfigurement.
- Statute of limitationsThe time within which a lawsuit has to be filed: three years for a personal injury and ten years for most civil actions.