On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 45

Other ways of determining the true mileage of the car:
Examine the date and the mileage indicated on the state inspection
sticker located on the inside of the windshield, or on repair orders, and
compare with the odometer reading.
If the mileage is low and the car appears to have been repainted, it is
possible that the car was involved in an accident. Some cars that are
declared “totaled” are sold to used-car dealers and body shops, rebuilt,
and resold. Anyone who sells a car in Vermont which has been determined
by an insurance company to have been totaled (or a car for which a
“salvage” certificate has been issued) must inform a prospective buyer of
that fact, both verbally and in writing before a sale occurs. If a car has
been totaled, there is a good chance that it won’t hold up very well if it’s
crashed again, or that unforeseen problems may develop.
Accidents
If you are in an accident, you must stop as soon as you can without
endangering traffic. If you hit an unoccupied vehicle you must leave a note
with your name and address; and if you hit roadside property you must
try to find and inform the owner of your name and address. If someone is
injured, you must help if you are able, and call a doctor or ambulance.
You must also exchange the following information with the other driver:
name, address, the name of the owner of the vehicle, and driver’s license
number.
If the accident resulted in death or injury to anyone or in property damage
of $3,000 or more, you must make a written report to the commissioner of
motor vehicles on the forms provided by the commissioner. This report
must be mailed within 72 hours after the accident.
If you are in an accident, get the names of witnesses; do not comment on
the accident and do not place blame on yourself or others, even though
you may think you know where the fault lies; assist the police if possible;
see a doctor if you are aware of any injury whatsoever; and inform your
insurance company as soon as possible.
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