When you’re a car owner there’s always going to be something you need to consider. It might relate to used vehicles you should know about, or steps to take following an incident on the road. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, the last thing you want to do is stress about what to do next. This article outlines the steps you need to take in order to protect yourself and your legal rights.
Prioritize Health And Safety
The first thing you should do is assess the situation and make sure that you and any passengers are safe. If anyone’s injured, call 911 immediately. If possible, have your car moved to the side of the road. Even if you don’t feel injured you should always seek an immediate medical check-up. Adrenaline can mask the pain so you may not realize the full extent of your injuries until hours or even days later. Also, if you do have injuries, getting prompt treatment can help speed up your recovery.
If necessary, your doctor will organize some X-rays or scans, or refer you to a specialist. As a matter of course, a medical record will be created that can be used as evidence to support your legal claim. If you don’t see a doctor immediately, the responsible party could deny that your injuries were a direct result of the accident.
Involve A Legal Professional
Lawyers understand the law and can give you advice on what to do in your specific case. They also know how to negotiate financial settlements with insurance companies. There are many personal injury lawyers that will work on a contingency basis, which means they don’t get paid unless you win your case. This makes it easier for people who’ve been injured in an accident to afford legal representation.
Brooklyn is a city with a 2022 population of over 2.5 million, and it’s no stranger to road accidents. If you need a Brooklyn, NY personal injury attorney you’ll be able to get a free consultation so you can learn about your legal options from a trusted professional. Their website may discuss the different types of personal injuries and accident scenarios, as well as answers to a host of legal questions.
How can you get insurance coverage faster? A skilled Rochester Car Accident Lawyer understands the law and can give you advice on what to do in your specific case.
Involve The Police
If you’re involved in a car accident, the police may attend the scene. The benefits of involving the police are that they can:
- Take an objective view of what happened
- Speak to witnesses and get their accounts of what occurred
- Make sure everyone’s safe and in no further danger
If the accident has caused a traffic jam or obstruction, they may direct traffic around it until it’s clear. In some cases, they may even close off the road entirely if it’s not safe for cars to be driving there. Once the police have gathered all the information they need, they’ll write up a report. This can be used as evidence if you decide to take legal action against the other driver. For this reason, take the police person’s contact details and incident number so you can request a copy of it later.
Take Some Pictures
If you’re able to, take pictures of the accident scene, such as any damage to your vehicles, their license plates, skid marks on the road, and any debris. If the road quality was a contributor to the accident you may also wish to take pictures of things like poor lighting, low-hanging trees, potholes, and loose gravel. Take photos showing your injuries as well, as these can enhance your claim for pain, suffering, or PTSD.
If you don’t have a proper camera, a smartphone version will do. The pictures can be helpful in documenting what happened and supporting your claim later on. If you’re not able to take pictures at the scene, ask someone else to do it or make sure to get them as soon as possible afterward.
Obtain Peoples’ Contact Information
Before you leave the accident scene you need to collect the contact details of the other party/ies involved in the incident. You’ll need their names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The driver’s license number and insurance information would also be helpful to have on hand. If there were any witnesses attending the accident scene, get their contact information as well. This way you’ll be able to request a statement later on. They may even be willing for you to record their verbal account of the accident while it’s fresh in their minds.
The more details you have, the easier it’ll be to file a claim or reach out to someone for help later on down the road. Plus, if you need to go to court, this kind of evidence will be very important in establishing what happened during the accident.
Let Your Insurance Company Know
Contacting your insurance company is important for a few reasons. First, they can help you determine what steps to take next and how to proceed with filing a claim. They can also help connect you with resources like medical providers and auto repair shops. Finally, by letting your insurance company know about the accident, they can begin their own investigation into the incident and start working on any potential claims that may need to be filed.
There are a few risks associated with not contacting your insurance company after an accident. First, if you wait too long to file a claim, your insurance company may deny your claim entirely. Second, if you don’t contact your insurance company and instead try to work directly with the other driver’s insurance company, they may not be as cooperative or helpful. Finally, without involving your own insurance company, you may end up having to pay for more out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident.
You’ll also need to gather all the relevant evidence for your legal claim. Hopefully, your lawyer will gain justice on your behalf so you are fairly compensated and able to pay all your expenses. In turn, this will hopefully become a thing of the past and you’ll make a full physical recovery.
