Car fires are traumatizing. Not only do they lead to burn injuries, but the damage they do is beyond repair. Car fires may occur in a variety of ways
If your car caught on fire and you can relate this to negligence, you may have a claim.
From this article, you can learn the different causes of car fires and which kind of insurance coverage to pay for such damages.
Causes Of Car Fires
If your car has caught fire due to negligence, the best thing you can do is look for a car accident lawyer in Anchorage.
Vehicles are not made to burst into fire. There must be a cause of the fire. In most cases, it’s a combination of cases such as driver’s negligence, mechanical failure, etc.
The fact is that if a car catches fire, this complicates things; there could be passengers on board, properties such as phones, laptops, and the vehicle may be burned beyond recognition.
Once a car has been burned, one concern would be to keep safe as fast as possible. The other concern would be to inform the insurance company. There are so many causes of car fire accidents. Some of these include:
- Engine fires
- Car accident
- Garage fire
- Mechanical failure
- Design flaws
The above cannot cause fire on their own, but they are recipes for fires. It’s more likely that the above may lead to negligence, either from another party or the driver.
What To Do If A Catches Fire After A Car Accident
Keeping safe after a car fire will protect your health. But if you were injured, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. What you do after the car has caught fire will determine whether you may have a successful claim: You may:
- Seek medical help immediately: If you are in a position, visit the nearest hospital for medical care.
- Call police on the scene: If the situation is manageable such that no one is in danger, you can contact the police, who may pick up vital details about the case. Such may also liaise with the fire department.
- If you were able to escape the fire, you could take up pictures of both vehicles.
- Get information from the other driver: This may include their address, insurance, number plate, etc.
- Speak to a lawyer: Having a lawyer will help you understand how to go about your case. Your Tampa car accident lawyer may gather solid evidence to show how negligence led to the fire. Your lawyer is better positioned to inform the at-fault driver’s insurance company and file the claim.
There are so many complications when dealing with insurance companies. It requires one to seek legal help. A lawyer can help dispute any low offer from the claim adjuster.
He/she can guide you on the car insurance coverage to use. The main thing to keep in mind regarding car insurance is to comply with your state’s laws. Most car owners choose to have car policies with specific minimum standards to get protection in case of fire, theft, or an accident. For instance, some coverage only covers injuries or damages by another driver but doesn’t pay for any injuries you may have suffered from the accident.
Drivers who buy comprehensive insurance stand a better chance to have their losses paid back after a car fire. It’s important once you find the cause of the fire, that you do your research depending on where you live. One example of research you can do is what makes a car a lemon in California?
Comprehensive coverage will only be used to cover for your losses if you were not driving the care. In other words, you will have the coverage pay for anything that caused their fire other than collisions. For instance, let’s assume you have parked your vehicle, and there was combustion in a neighboring home that led your car to catch fire. This could be paid for by the comprehensive coverage.
But if your car bursts in flames after a collision with another vehicle, your lawyer will advise you to use other forms of coverage to get compensated.
Filing A Personal Injury Claim
Car on car impact can lead to vehicle catching fire. The fire becomes more harmful than the collision itself. Where negligence is involved, one may file a personal injury claim.
While it’s rare to have a car burst into flames after a collision, these cases do happen. The crash could lead to rupture of the fuel system, which could lead to sparks that may cause a fire.
If you were involved in a car accident that caught fire, you might have suffered from burns. These burns could lead to scars and disfigurements. Such injuries require one to get proper medical treatment. For instance, you may have to undergo plastic surgery, especially if such burns occur in a conspicuous area like the face or hands.
For compensation, you need to prove that the other driver, the manufacturers, or any other negligent person led to your injuries.
You may require an experienced car accident lawyer to help you file a compensation claim.