A driving record is a history of a person’s driving history, including information about their licensed status, traffic violations, and accidents. It is typically maintained by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or a similar government agency.
It may include the following information:
- Personal information (name, address, date of birth)
- Driver’s license status (valid, suspended, expired, etc.)
- Traffic citations and convictions (speeding, DUI, reckless driving, etc.)
- Accidents (at-fault, not-at-fault, etc.)
- Suspensions or revocations of license
- Points accumulated on the license
- Administrative actions (such as failure to pay fines)
- Restoration of license
Insurance companies and courts of law may request to see a driver’s record to determine liability for an accident. Hiring a car accident laywer is one of the important steps after you met with an accident so be careful about it. You can click here for more information atlantapiattorney.com/car-accidents/.
It is important to note that depending on the state you live in some of the infractions on the record will be dropped after certain period of time or once you have completed a certain conditions.
Your driving record can potentially affect your injury claim in several ways:
- Credibility: A history of traffic violations or past accidents may make it more difficult for an insurance adjuster to believe that you were not at fault in the accident.
- Liability: If you have a history of traffic violations or past accidents, an insurance adjuster may try to use that information to argue that you were at fault in the accident, even if you were not.
- Settlement amount: A history of traffic violations or past accidents may also lead to a lower settlement offer from the insurance company.
- Court case: If the case goes to trial, the opposing side may try to use your driving record as evidence to show that you were negligent or reckless in the accident.
However, It is important to note that, it is not always a clear cut that past driving record would negatively impact the injury claim, but it does have potential to. Also, having a good injury attorney would help to mitigate the negative impact of past driving record on your case.
Will I Be Obligated to Disclose the Information?
When filing an injury claim, you generally have a legal duty to disclose any relevant information that may impact your claim. This includes information about your driving record. The insurance company may ask for your driving record as part of their investigation into the accident, and failure to disclose it could potentially harm your claim or even be considered insurance fraud.To get out of a accident case, you must hire an experienced personal injury attorney who can take care of all the legal formaalities and handle your case on your behalf.
Additionally, in a court case the opposing side may use the discovery process to request information about your driving record and other relevant information, if you fail to disclose it you could be facing penalties like sanctions, fines and even risk having your case dismissed.
It is important to be upfront and transparent about your driving record and any other relevant information when filing a claim. An experienced attorney can advise you on how to handle this information in the most favorable way and navigate the legal process.
