According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 6 million car accidents occur in the United States each year. You may be too shaken to think straight if you’ve been in a tiny fender bender or a catastrophic crash, so it’s crucial to educate yourself ahead of time.
Read below for a few tips on what you should do after a car accident.
Call 911
Calling the police, whether it’s a tiny fender-bender or a large collision, is critical — and in certain jurisdictions, it’s a legal requirement. The cops on the site will fill out an accident report and photograph the situation.
If the police are unable to respond to the accident scene, you can proceed to the nearest police station and file a complaint on your own. When you make a claim with your insurance company, they may request a copy of the police report to aid in the claims process.
Take photos
If your vehicle has a camera, or if you have a cell phone with a camera, you should snap images of the vehicles if there is obvious damage. If you have any apparent injuries, you should also take pictures of them. You must not, however, interfere with the ongoing police inquiry.
If you are unable to snap photographs at the scene of the accident, do so as soon as possible afterward.
Exchange information
Obtain the name and insurance details of the other driver. The other driver may ask for personal information such as your home address, phone number, and driver’s license number, but the National Association of Insurance Commissioners now recommends that you only disclose what is necessary by state law due to the risk of identity theft. Almost always, this refers to the information on your insurance card.
Contact insurance
It’s best to do this right at the scene of the accident. Your insurance company may have specific information that you should record right away. This will help to reduce the amount of stress experienced during the insurance claim procedure. This initiates the claim procedure, which entails a number of steps.
You can also employ legal counsel to assist you in deciphering the sometimes complicated nature of the insurance process. They will also tell you of the various possibilities available to you and assist you in deciding which is best for you.
Contact attorney
Make it a priority to retain the best auto accident lawyer to help safeguard your rights by ensuring that you are fully reimbursed for damages to your vehicle and that you receive the best medical care possible. Contact a law firm or an attorney soon to ensure that your vehicle accident insurance benefits are protected.
