Millions of people are involved in car accidents every year. They can range from minor accidents, where there is minimal damage to very serious accidents involving catastrophic injuries or death.
It is important to know what to do after being in a car accident, especially if it was not your fault. The following tips will help you to deal with the situation calmly and efficiently.
Our tips will also make it clear what steps to take and when to call for specialist legal help who will be able to support you through this difficult time.
To be clear, it is best to make use of lawyers with expertise in a particular area – in this case, that would be car accidents and personal injuries. It’s also wise to select lawyers local to you as this means that they will have deep knowledge of the court system of the region.
For instance, if you’ve unfortunately been involved in an incident in Colorado, contacting a car accident lawyer Denver may be the best path forward for you. If you regularly drive or live in that region, it may be worth keeping their contact details close to hand as you never know when you might need to get in touch.
Check if anyone is injured
The first and most important step after being in a car accident is to ensure everyone is OK. If anyone has been injured or appears confused, call for emergency help immediately. Even if people look fine, they might have internal injuries, that might not be visible straightaway.
Call the Police
There are some countries that allow you to file an accident report online within the days that follow a car accident. While this may sound convenient, it is still best to have an official police report.
Police officer, present at the car accident, can give their point-of-view and explain how the accident happened or who was at fault. This could become important if the other person’s insurance company denies your claims or slows payment.
Collect Information & Evidence
You never know what’s going to be important later on, so it’s better to gather as much information and evidence as possible. Start by taking pictures of your car and the surrounding accident scene, including any close-ups.
Make sure you gather as much information as you can about the other driver and collect the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Even if you do not feel injured or have much damage to your vehicle, sometimes internal injuries take a while to show up.
Call Your Own Car Insurance Company
Even if you were not at fault, contact your own car insurance company and notify them of your accident. They may be able to help you with a rental car or other benefits while you wait for the other person’s insurance company to begin their process of payment.
This can also help you if the other driver is underinsured or not insured at all.
Contact a Lawyer
If the other driver’s car insurance company does not accept fault or if you have been injured as a result of the car accident, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer immediately.
A qualified personal injury lawyer will handle the communications between you and the insurance companies as well as advise you on how to strengthen your case and the legal claim should it be necessary to go to court.