If you’ve ever been in a car accident, then you know that it can be traumatic. The injuries are often severe, and the medical bills will pile up, but what’s most important is getting compensated for your damages. It’s not always easy to tell if you have a case or not. After all, every person has their own story of what happened when they crashed their car. So how do you know which steps to take? For starters, here are some basic must-take steps in any car accident case.
Ensure That You Are Safe
The first thing you must do is ensure your safety. If someone else hits you, it’s likely because they didn’t see you and ran into the side of your car or even T-boned. When this happens to drivers, there are often long-lasting injuries, so be sure to seek medical attention if anyone is hurt.
Seeking medical attention is paramount because it will give you documentation and evidence to submit to your insurance company or even the police. So, if involved in a car accident, be sure to seek medical attention for any injuries and ensure everything is documented. You can then hand this information to your attorney as evidence.
Call The Police And Exchange Information
The second thing you must do is to call 911 and exchange information. Of course, this will only apply if there are any other cars involved in your accident. If no one else was involved, it might not be necessary to call the police, but calling them can give you peace of mind that everything has been appropriately documented for your protection and any legal proceedings.
When you call the police, make sure to give them all of your information. This includes your full name, address, phone number (including area code), driver’s license number (which is different from the ID number on a state-issued ID card), along with both car registration numbers and insurance carrier information. In many states, you must provide this information before the police will come out and complete an accident report.
Document The Accident Site And Your Injuries
It would be best to document the accident scene and your injuries as soon as possible so you have proof of what happened. If anyone else is also involved in the car accident, it will be their job to file a report with law enforcement. However, you are responsible for your documentation.
Documenting the accident scene is crucial because it can give clues about what happened and who was at fault. You may also be able to collect evidence or even take photos of any skid marks on the road if someone tried to stop abruptly before slamming into your car. The police will likely also take pictures of the accident scene, and you’ll want to gather any evidence before it’s lost.
Contact Your Insurance Company
The fourth necessary step is to contact your insurance company. Whether you’re at fault or not, there’s a good chance that your car will need to be repaired, and the other person may also file an injury claim against you if it was their fault. In this case, they’ll likely submit medical bills on top of any damage done to their vehicle.
Even when the accident wasn’t your fault, you can contact your insurance company to give you the go-ahead on what to do, including the at-fault insurance company. This will ensure that you have a solid case and can provide you with peace of mind as your car is being repaired or replaced after the incident.
Hire a Lawyer to Help
You need to always have a lawyer on your side to represent you in court. Even if the accident wasn’t your fault, there is still a chance that someone could file against you, and it’s always better to have legal representation than go into any situation alone.
After hiring an attorney, they will help with all steps of this process and guide you through how best to proceed. They can also negotiate with the insurance companies to ensure you get a fair settlement, and if matters get out of hand, they can push your case to the courts.
File a Claim
The final step is to file a claim. If you’ve followed all the previous steps, then this should be relatively straightforward, and your attorney will help guide you through each necessary document that needs to be filed for your case to go smoothly.
When filing a claim, you’ll want to have all of your documentation and evidence gathered for this process to go quickly. This includes medical records, police reports, copies of the accident report from law enforcement, and photos taken at the scene. In some cases, it’s also a good idea to take notes on everything that happened before going into court or even before speaking with the other party’s insurance company.
There are many steps that you need to take after an accident for your case to be successful. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, make sure to follow these basic must-take steps, so things go smoothly and ensure the best possible outcome when it comes time for court or settlement negotiations. Hiring a lawyer is necessary to ensure you have the best possible case.
