Do you know that over six million car crashes occur every year in the United States? Fortunately, these accidents involve property damage as opposed to occupants. However, one in every involves personal injury to the driver or their passengers. Out of these, two in every ten accidents result in fatal injuries.
If you’re involved in an accident, there are certain things you should do to guard your safety and interests. The following is a list of what you need to do in an automobile accident.
- Make Sure No One is Hurt
Never leave the scene of a crash. Start by checking whether you or your passengers have suffered any injury. From here, get out of your vehicle to ensure that everyone else is alright. If there are not, then seek medical help right away.
Leaving the scene of an accident is an offense. You may be forced to pay fines or be imprisoned especially where there are injuries. Plus, leaving the scene may signify that you didn’t suffer any injury which may hurt your injury claim.
- Contact an Attorney
Every automobile accident is different. Therefore, contact a knowledgeable Brooklyn car accident lawyer as soon as possible. If possible, do this before giving your written statement about the accident to the police. With this, the attorney will guide you in making a statement that will not incriminate you in the future.
Contact an attorney to help you obtain the justice you deserve including compensation to cater for lost wages, property damage, mental anguish, medical expenses, and loss of a companion.
- Get Yourself and Your Vehicle Out of Danger
If the accident is minor and you didn’t suffer any injury, carefully drive your vehicle to the roadside so that it doesn’t impede traffic. Keep the hazard lights on and set up reflective emergency triangles to alert other drivers to slow down. But if the crash is severe, or anyone has been injured, leave the vehicles as they are.
Even if you didn’t suffer any injury, be careful when getting out of your vehicle, especially on a highway or busy street.
- Call the Police
Whether it’s a minor or major collision, it’s important to call the police. The responding officer will fill in the crash report and document the scene. However, if the police don’t come, you can visit the nearest police station and complete the report by yourself. When you file a compensation claim, the insurer will demand a copy of the police report to aid the claims process.
- Gather Evidence
Use your cellphone camera to take pictures of the scene. Some of the important details to capture include: the name, address, and driver’s license of everyone involved in the crash.
Then, collect all the information relating to the vehicle including the color, make, model, license plate number, and vehicle identification number. Also, ensure you capture the insurance policy number and the company’s phone number. Also, check whether any witness is willing to provide you with contact details and an account of what they saw.
- Call Your Insurer
Yes, it might be tempting to negotiate a cash deal with the other driver. But don’t make this mistake. Failure to notify your insurer about the accident may leave you liable for damages emanating from this crash. You don’t want this to happen.
- Seek Medical Attention
After an accident, you may feel perfectly fine. However, some injuries take time to show. Therefore, visit your doctor to examine and give you a clean bill of health.
Remember, the injuries emanating from the crash are included in your auto insurance claim. Thus it’s important to document any physical injury from the crash.
Conclusion
Knowing what to do after an accident will help safeguard your rights and interests. Yes, the other driver’s insurance company may request you to make a statement right away, don’t do this alone. Instead, contact a car accident attorney to guide you through the process.
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