5 Important Steps To Take After A Car Accident
It’s natural for drivers to forget the steps to take after a car accident. After all, when an unexpected car accident occurs, drivers’ anxiety levels rise and may cause them to react irrationally. However, drivers like yourself need to know how to handle car accidents. It’s important to be informed in case of emergency, and to receive the compensation or protection you deserve, with the assistance of a car accident injury lawyer if necessary. To ensure that you can react appropriately after an unexpected car crash, take precaution by learning the necessary steps now and you’ll be prepared just in case. Continue reading to learn the right steps to take after a car accident.
Make Sure Everyone is Safe
The first step to take after a car accident is to ensure the safety of all involved. If possible, exit your vehicle or pull over, turn on your emergency flashers and check if anyone in the vehicle has been injured. Your first thought post-car crash should always be safety, and you don’t want to be vulnerable to other cars that may be distracted driving, as they may not take the proper precaution to avoid the car accident scene and those gathered around it. Regardless of what the other driver involved does after hitting your car, get yourself off of the road to avoid further trauma from an accident. Unfortunately, hit-and-runs occur on a regular basis. If you can, pull off onto the shoulder of the road you’re on and if you are on a multi-lane highway, aim to get to the shoulder on the right side of the highway. Once you put your car into park, turn your hazard lights on and turn your vehicle off. Take the precautionary measures to keep yourself as safe as possible post-car accident. If the accident is severe and anyone seems injured, call 911 for medical services and law enforcement help.
Call The Police
After you get yourself to safety after a car accident, call the police. Many drivers assume that they do not need to call 911 if no one seems to have any injuries. These drivers often deal with more issues down the road. After all, police officers provide citations and record the facts of the accident. If a court case arises, you can use their statements as supporting evidence. Thus, calling the police can save you money and increase your chances of obtaining what is owed to you. Set yourself up for a fair outcome by calling 911 regardless of the severity of injuries or amount of damages after a car accident.
Take Pictures
Another essential step to take after a car accident is to take pictures of the scene. When drivers get too overwhelmed with the situation, they forget to snap photographs of the vehicles. This opens doors for the other involved driver to make false claims. Some drivers also fake injuries to gain more capital during a case. Others may argue that injuries that you obtained during an accident were previously there. Protect yourself from such situations by photographing any injuries you get during an accident. If you notice that the other driver involved also has injuries, ensure that the police officers at the scene document them. Then, you will have tools to fight against false claims in court. With this in mind, taking photographs of vehicle damage and personal injuries is an important step to take after a car accident as there is often evidence in how the accident happened in the damage to the car.
Exchange Information
Also, exchanging information is a critical step to take post-car accident. If possible, request the other driver’s relevant information. Write down their whole name and their address. Ask for their insurance provider’s name as well as their policy information. By collecting this information, you set yourself up to receive compensation for your injuries and/or damages. This step is especially vital after a car accident that was not your fault. Do so to make sure that the accident is reported promptly and make sure to call a personal injury lawyer before the insurance bureaus to maximize compensation, as insurance agents may try to withhold what you really deserve. To learn more about getting the compensation you deserve, check out this article from Oakland: https://www.thebarnesfirm.com/contact-us/oakland-personal-injury-lawyers/
Notify Your Insurer
Lastly, notify your own insurer after you’ve spoken to a lawyer about the car accident. Whether the accident was your fault or not, this step is crucial to creating a fair end result. Insurance companies specialize in these types of situations. Therefore, they can provide quality advice on how to bounce back from accidents. Drivers who feel too scattered to remember the above steps call their insurers for assistance. Such drivers receive information on what to do. They also gain insight into the following steps. Insurance companies can explain how the claims process works and assist you in filing a claim. Hence, calling your insurance company is a necessary step to take after a car accident.
In order to receive deserved compensation after a car accident, you need to learn the most important steps to take post-crash. Firstly, get to a safe place off of the road and take extra measures to protect yourself from traffic while making sure no one is injured. Then, call 911 regardless of whether there are injuries or not. Take pictures of any injuries that you received from the accident and of vehicle damage. Exchange insurance information with the other driver involved so you can reach their provider if issues arise. Finally, if necessary, speak with a lawyer before notifying your own insurer for assistance and information on filing a claim. Follow these steps to take after a car accident to secure a fair claims process.
