Unfortunately, road accidents are quite frequent, and sometimes, no matter how careful you are, it’s difficult to control the situation. Those who have experienced it know that even a minor accident can be extremely stressful and nerve-wracking.
At that particular moment, you are in a state of shock and you’re not quite sure what you’re supposed to do. Still, even though this whole occurrence is very traumatizing, you have to be as calm as you can in order to make rational decisions.
Of course, that for sure isn’t easy, however, you have to do your best to make sure you are doing the right things. Today, we will talk about the steps that have to be taken in these types of situations.
Essential Things To Do After A Vehicle Accident
Secure Everyone Who Is With You
As it was mentioned above, this is for sure a traumatizing experience which means that you can easily get distracted and make decisions that cannot benefit you in any way. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been involved in a fender bender or something less serious, you should never leave anyone who was with you in the locked, hot vehicle after an accident.
This means that you shouldn’t leave the engine off in a hot vehicle with your loved ones, while you are handling all the relevant accident details. Now, if you’ve been traveling with kids that are young enough to be in the car seats, then you shouldn’t remove them from the seats right after the accident.
Who knows, maybe they are having some injuries that aren’t easily noticeable, which is why you should allow the first responder to remove your children from the seats to see if they’ve potentially hurt.
Gather Important Information
If you’ve made sure that everyone around you is doing okay, it’s time to take the next step. You should focus on collecting all relevant information from others involved in the collision. This typically involves:
- Drivers and passengers: contact information and name
- Description of the vehicle (model, make, year)
- Driver’s license numbers
- Policy numbers and insurance company
- If there’s an eyewitness, collect their names and contact info
- The location of the accident (address would be the best)
- The name of the police officer and badge number
What are you supposed to do if the third party wants you to sign any documents? Skilled legal professionals at www.stokesstemle.com want to remind you that you shouldn’t sign anything unless your lawyer, insurance agent, or police officer is present. You do not want to be tricked by anyone!
What Else Are You Supposed To Do?
Take Pictures
If by any chance you have a camera by your side, or a mobile phone that comes with a solid camera, you should definitely take some pictures of your vehicle, especially if you notice there’s some visible damage.
Furthermore, if you or anyone who was with you has visible injuries, you should take pictures of them as well. Now, this doesn’t mean that you should interfere with the police investigation in any way.
Even though it’s important to do this, you shouldn’t be disturbing the police. That’s why if you are not able to take photographs at the scene of the accident, you should do it as soon as you can after the accident.
Contact The Insurance Company And Personal Injury Lawyer
While you’re at the scene, it would be smart to contact your insurance company to see what you’re supposed to do next. These people will tell you exactly what to do if you want to process your claim and what you can expect during this process.
On the other hand, if you think that you weren’t responsible for the accident and you want to take things to court, then you should certainly call your personal injury lawyer to get yourself familiar with the next steps.
Having an attorney in these types of situations is extremely important because that is the person who will do anything to protect you and your rights and to ensure any important evidence is not being destroyed.
If by any chance, you are being contacted by the insurance company from a third party then you shouldn’t be giving any statements without consulting with your lawyer first. Namely, your advocate will provide you with advice regarding various things, such as compensation for your vehicle to medical expenses, etc.
Personal injury solicitors usually do not charge any fees unless you receive compensation for the injuries.
Being involved in a vehicle accident can shake you to the core, hence, it’s always recommendable to educate yourself a bit upfront. We hope that with the help of this guideline you’ll know exactly what to do in case something like this happens.
