Moving to a new state is exciting. You could be starting a new job or moving closer to family. While there are many new things to look forward to when you’re in a new state, you also need to stay on top of your responsibilities. One of those responsibilities will be getting a new Mississippi license.
On average, employers in the United States pay out $25 billion annually for motor vehicle accidents at work. After a serious accident in a company vehicle, it’s imperative to determine who’s liable. While employees may believe they’re covered under their company policy, this isn’t always the case.
If you’ve been in an accident involving a company vehicle, understanding your rights and legal options is crucial for your future. There’s also the matter of the difference between workers’ compensation and liability insurance. Let’s start by taking a look at determining whether the company or employee is responsible for a crash.
Have you ever been travelling south down a highway, just to find out that you actually need to be going north? To solve the problem, you decide to make a U-turn. But is that legal? Before making the turn, you check your surroundings for signs. Even if you don’t see a sign prohibiting U-turns, they still could be illegal in certain areas of Mississippi.
It makes sense why they might be illegal. A dangerous maneuver, like a U-turn requires extreme caution to avoid a traffic collision. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U-turns account for about 2 percent of all car accidents. So are they legal?
No matter where in Mississippi you’re driving, there’s always the chance for an accident. Negligent and reckless drivers make decisions that injure people on a daily basis. Car insurance laws are in place to ensure victims have access to the funds they need to recover. If you reside in Mississippi it’s important to understand the state’s auto insurance laws. This will ensure you are meeting the requirements and making the road a safer place.
In order to ensure accident victims have access to the compensation they need to recover from a crash, all drivers in Mississippi are required to maintain and carry liability insurance. Strict minimum amounts of coverage are required. Drivers must have $25,000 liability coverage for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for total bodily injury or death, and $25,000 for property damage.
Since around 3 million people are injured each year in car accidents, it’s not surprising that some of those injuries are serious. Even though serious injuries might not be immediately apparent, they can cause a victim to go into shock. Shock is when there is insufficient blood flow through the body. It is typically caused by internal bleeding, severe burns, and serious injuries to the heart, nervous system, or organs.
Shock often leads to even worse conditions, like oxygen deprivation, heart attacks, organ damage, and even death. If a victim of a car accident is displaying signs of shock, it’s important to get them medical attention right away.
When you have to seek medical treatment because a negligent driver caused an accident, there are a number of tests your doctor may want to run. You may be concerned about the associated costs, but it’s important to remember that you can seek compensation for your injuries. One of the most common diagnostic tests a physician will order is an MRI. There are pros and cons of getting an MRI after filing a car accident claim. It’s important to understand those advantages and disadvantages, so you can make the best decision for your health and wellbeing.
Car crashes, even minor ones, are stressful to deal with. The stress is amplified when the other driver involved in your accident intentionally drives off, leaving the scene. This is referred to as a hit-and-run accident. Examples include when a person strikes your car while you’re both driving and they speed off in the opposite direction to avoid speaking with you, when a driver strikes a car in a parking lot and leaves without providing information, or when a drunk driver flees an accident scene to avoid being charged with a DUI.
One of the most prevalent challenges for the victim of a hit-and-run is finding the driver who caused the accident and abandoned the scene. Depending on the circumstances, the case may be resolved easily, or it could take time. In some cases, the negligent party may never be found.
In a car accident, a person’s head might get quickly whipped around from one side to another, otherwise known as whiplash. This soft tissue injury can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the neck and shoulders. In fact, whiplash is the most common car accident injury. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), it affects nearly 75% of crash victims.
Drivers aren’t supposed to be on the road if they’re uninsured, but plenty of people do it anyway. For that reason, there’s uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance. Uninsured motorist (UM) insurance covers you if you are in a car accident with someone who does not have liability insurance. Underinsured motorist (UIM) insurance is for when a motorist has the state-required minimum insurance, but still does not have enough liability insurance to cover your injuries and damages. You might be annoyed when paying the premium for UM insurance, but you’ll thank yourself later in the event of an accident.
If you’ve been in a car accident and are working with your insurance company to get your vehicle repaired, you may come to find it has been totaled. Every state has its own threshold for total loss. If your crash happened in Mississippi, it’s important to understand the state’s policies and how it could affect your vehicle repairs or replacement. Typically, if your vehicle is a total loss your insurer won’t pay for repairs. Instead, they’ll need to determine how much your vehicle is worth. For this, there is a total loss formula. Prior to understanding how that formula works, however, you’ll want to recognize common signs that your vehicle may be totaled.
