No one wants to be in a car crash, but it’s something that will happen to many people. Of course, car accidents range in severity; some may simply leave you with a dented car, while others can be much more serious. How you react will also depend on what caused the accident.
That being said, there are a few essential steps that you need to take if you have been in a car accident, and this post is here to walk you through them.
Table of Contents
Get in touch with a lawyer
It may be the case that the accident was caused by another driver’s reckless driving. If that is what happened, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit.
However, these types of lawsuits can be complicated and difficult to navigate, which is why you should consider getting legal representation as soon as possible. Have a look at Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers, Tucson, to see how they can help you.
On the flip side, if someone is filing a personal injury lawsuit against you and claiming that you caused the accident, you should also get a lawyer to defend you.
Get the details of the other party
Of course, it will be very hard to take any form of action or claim any type of insurance if you don’t have the other party’s details, which is why you need to get them as soon as possible. This also means that you need to give them your details.
Be sure to also take note of their license plate. It’s hard to believe, but some people may give you false details so that they don’t have to face the consequences of their actions later down the line.
Seek medical attention
Next up, you need to see a healthcare professional. If the accident was serious, an ambulance may arrive at the scene to take care of you, but if not, you should get medical attention as soon as possible.
Even if you feel completely fine, you need to get the all-clear from a doctor. It might be that you are in shock or have internal injuries, so your injuries may not immediately be evident. A medical exam will also be helpful for your insurance claims as well as if you decide to take legal action.
Get witness details
You shouldn’t just get the details of anyone else who was involved in the accident, but also of any witnesses who saw what happened. Hopefully, if someone saw the crash, they stopped to help, so don’t hesitate to ask them for their contact details.
Having an eye witness can be helpful if you ever need someone to corroborate your side of the story, and of course, if you do end up taking legal action, witness testimony can serve as powerful evidence in court.
Contact your insurance providers
Car accidents generally cause a lot of damage, and this damage costs a lot of money to fix. Hopefully, you have insurance to help cover these fees.
You need to get in touch with your car insurance provider so that they can get your car repaired as soon as possible, and you should also contact your healthcare insurance provider to let them know about any medical fees you may have. If you don’t already have insurance, let this be your sign that you need to look into it. You’re bound to find insurance that works for you, such as youth healthcare insurance.
Open a police report
Opening a police report may not be fun, but it’s necessary. You should do this as soon as possible, but only after you’ve gotten medical attention.
A police report is important because it’s a way of recording what happened, and since you will be required to write everything down quite soon after the accident, the odds are that you won’t forget any details. If possible, try to get the other parties or witnesses to also write their reports of the incident. This can be used for insurance claims, legal trials, and other things, so it’s definitely worth it.
Going to the police station might be intimidating for you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you don’t understand something, or if you need some guidance with writing your report.
Let your employer know
Even if the accident wasn’t serious, you may still be bruised and sore, so it’s a good idea to take a day or two off from work. Of course, serious injuries obtained during a car accident will require that you take a longer period off.
You should inform your employer of the situation as soon as possible so that they can start planning for your absence. If you need some help with requesting sick leave, you can click here.
Take photos
If you feel up to it, you should also take photos of the accident scene. Try to get as many photos as possible – shoot from all different angles, and aim to get close-ups of any damage done. This will, once again, come in handy when you file any type of paperwork later, be it a police report, an insurance claim, or a lawsuit.
You should also take photos of any injuries you may have obtained. If you can, try to get photos of the injuries as soon as possible after they occurred, and then take photos of them as they heal to document the process.
In conclusion
Hopefully, you won’t be in a car accident any time soon, but if you are, it’s important that you know how to react and what to do.
It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed when you’re in the moment, and you may easily forget some steps, which is why it can be helpful to have them all here in one convenient place. Remember that each car accident is different and everyone will react differently, but do your best to stay calm and think logically, even though it may be very hard.
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