I was recently in a car accident and need advice on what to do next. Here’s what happened: I was driving straight through a yellow light, and another car turned left in front of me, causing a collision. I was driving around 35 mph (the speed limit), and I couldn’t stop in time. My mom and I went to the hospital, but thankfully we’re okay.
The tricky part is that I was driving with a learner’s permit, and the car is in my dad’s name with his insurance. My mom was in the passenger seat (so I wasn’t breaking any rules), but my friend was in the back seat. From what I’ve read, this doesn’t seem like a problem, but I’m not entirely sure. We only had liability insurance, and the other driver didn’t have insurance at all. The police later said we were both at fault: me for not stopping at the yellow light, and the other driver for not yielding.
Now, I’m confused about what happens next. Since the car isn’t in my name and I don’t have my license yet, how does that affect insurance? What should I do about this whole situation? Any advice would really help.
It doesn’t sound like you were at fault just for going through a yellow light. Cops aren’t always the best at determining these things. Your permit and who owns the car shouldn’t matter much, but that depends on the policy. The real issue is the other driver being uninsured.
You might want to check the police report to confirm the other driver really didn’t have insurance. It’s also worth seeing if they had insurance personally even if their car didn’t. You could talk to an attorney to explore your options, but if they’re uninsured, suing might not be worth it unless you know they can pay.
@Peyton
Yeah, I thought the ticket was a bit harsh, but I get why it happened since there was an accident. As for the policy, I’ll check with my dad. Honestly, I’m not looking to sue; I just want to avoid losing more money. I’ll definitely look up the police report to confirm everything. Thanks for the advice.
@Harley
What does the ticket say exactly? If it’s something like “disregarding a yellow light,” and there were no witnesses, you might be able to fight it. Getting it dismissed could save you money and keep your insurance rates from going up. Tickets like this can stick with you for years.
@Peyton
The ticket says ‘Operator Violate Yellow Traffic Signal.’ There were some witnesses, but I haven’t talked to any of them. The police used footage from a nearby bank to issue the ticket. Do you think it’s worth going to court to fight it? I heard that since I have a learner’s permit, any points would double, so I’d get six points on my record.
Peyton said: @Harley
What state are you in? Some places handle things like this differently. Six points doubling sounds rough, but it might be worth fighting.
I’m in Wisconsin. The officer said I should’ve tried harder to stop. Honestly, my memory is fuzzy, but I don’t think I could’ve stopped in time. I might ask for the footage to see if it’s clear.
Peyton said: @Harley
Yeah, in Wisconsin, it sounds like that’s a rule. Definitely try to get the footage to see if you had a chance to stop. It might help.
Since you’re on a learner’s permit, it makes sense you’re not on the insurance. That’s not a problem. Just to clarify, are your parents married and living together? You said it’s your dad’s insurance, and if they’re not together, that could matter.
Also, what state are you in? If you don’t have uninsured motorist property damage coverage, the car might not be covered. You might have to sue the other driver, but with injuries involved, you might have coverage for that. Do you know if your dad’s policy includes uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage?
@Dane
Yes, my parents are married and live together. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. We’re in Wisconsin. Luckily, we only had some bruising from the crash, and we’ve mostly healed now. My dad told me we only have liability insurance, so I don’t think we have the coverage you mentioned. I doubt suing would be worth it, but thank you for explaining everything.
@Harley
Wisconsin doesn’t require uninsured motorist property damage coverage, but it does require uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. That means you, your mom, and even your friend might have medical bills covered or could get some compensation for pain and suffering. It’s there to cover situations like this when the other driver has no insurance.
For the car, your dad’s liability policy likely won’t cover your damages. If the other driver tries to claim against your insurance, the company will review it, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll find you at fault. If you got a ticket, that’s separate and something you’d have to deal with on your own.
Driving through a yellow light is fine as long as you didn’t speed up or have enough time to stop safely. Police don’t decide who’s at fault; insurance companies do, but police opinions can influence decisions.
As long as your mom was with you, your friend being in the car isn’t an issue since you were following permit rules. Your dad’s insurance should cover you since you had permission to use the car. If the other driver was uninsured, your dad’s insurance might have to handle the claim, but you’d still have to pay the deductible. You can try suing the other driver for that deductible if they were at fault.
It sounds like you entered the intersection, and the other driver turned left into you. Since your dad’s insurance covers the car, that part isn’t unusual.
Police don’t officially decide who’s at fault, but their report can help determine what happened. If the footage from the bank shows you had a solid yellow light, the other driver could be fully or mostly at fault. Unfortunately, if they’re uninsured, you’d have to rely on your own coverage or pursue them directly for damages.
@Riley
Yeah, the ‘unique’ part of my post was more about the learner’s permit situation since I couldn’t find anything similar online. Both of us had yellow lights, mine going straight and theirs turning left. The police report says we’re both at fault, but since the other driver is uninsured, there’s no money coming from them. Thanks for the info.
Insurance companies, not police, decide fault for claims. The police report and tickets can influence that, though. If the other driver is uninsured, it complicates things, but you may still have options through your dad’s policy.
@Olen
They can give tickets and put you at fault in the police report, but that’s not the final say for insurance. Claims adjusters focus on things like witnesses and evidence over police conclusions.
Peyton said: @Olen
They can give tickets and put you at fault in the police report, but that’s not the final say for insurance. Claims adjusters focus on things like witnesses and evidence over police conclusions.
Yeah, the police said insurance would handle fault, but my dad never heard anything from them. I think it might be because the other driver wasn’t insured, so there was no claim to process. I did get a ticket and an option to contest it in court, though.
@Olen
If you’re thinking about fighting the ticket, it could help to get the footage the police mentioned. It might make a big difference in how things turn out.