The upheaval of a car or truck accident happens in a single, terrifying instant. One moment a person, couple, family, or friends may be enjoying a leisurely drive or a routine trip to work, and in the very next second a crash can change everything. Immediately after a collision, questions of injuries and damage costs rush to mind.
Now, for drivers in one Texas city, an additional cost of getting in a car accident must be considered after each and every collision. Spurned by the rising municipal cost of dispatching first responders to auto accidents of varying severity, Missouri City will begin charging a “crash tax” to those involved in a collision starting March 1.
Fees for drivers who have an accident can reach as high as $2,000 and will be charged by Missouri City’s Fire Department beginning next week. Individual taxations will vary based on the seriousness of each accident that the city must respond to, and it may be possible that even those motorists not responsible for causing a crash will have to pay out as well.
When asked, Missouri City’s Fire Chief remarked that the fee will help cover some of the city’s budget deficit, noting that bills will be sent to insurance companies rather than drivers themselves. Early estimates forecast that the city should accrue an additional $50,000 a year thanks to the crash tax.
Almost immediately in the wake of a car, truck, or pedestrian accident a tabulation of costs begins. Regardless of whether they are in terms of material property, physical health, or a more complicated combination of the two, it appears some Texans will have to deal with yet another cost during a collision’s aftermath. Recourse for these sorts of losses is indeed available, however; working with a personal injury attorney can alleviate an accident victim’s costs.
Source: NBC Bay Area, “Texas City to Impose ‘Crash Tax’ for Car Accident Help,” Justin Ray, Feb. 20, 2013
