Thousands of car accidents occur daily throughout the world with some being minor while others can end in fatality. One of the most stressful things is being involved in an accident and the days after the accident. Many times people are left without their main source of transportation or have to downgrade their transportation due to the insurance company only doling out a certain amount of money for a rental. Being flustered is also common when it comes to car accidents so knowing what to do is important. If you do not want to memorize the different things that you need to do just laminate a small piece of paper to help remind you. The following are ways that you can protect yourself when involved in a car accident.
Take Pictures Of The Scene
The officer that responds to the scene can make a mistake when judging who was at fault for the accident. There are accidents that do not turn out like normal or might have mitigating circumstances. Not only should you get pictures of the scene before the other party can move their car to try to make it look like your fault. You also need to get the information of witnesses who might not be able to stick around until the police arrive.
Let The Officer That Responds To The Accident Decide Who Was At Fault
Do not tell the officer that it was your fault for driving distracted or stopping short. As mentioned above the officer could take your word for it even though it was not your fault. Do not argue with the other person involved in the accident as this can escalate the situation. Just tell the officer what happened and hopefully you will have witnesses to confirm your order of events.
Give Only Details From The Accident Report To Your Insurance Company
Do not call your insurance company immediately but rather take hours to cool down or call the first thing the next morning. You should just read the accident report to the agent you are making the claim to. Do not answer questions that are not directly involved with the accident like where you were going or your mood that day. Unfortunately some insurance companies will try to get you to admit you were doing something wrong so they will not have to pay out the claim or represent you in court.
Contact Legal Representation If Injured At All
If you have been injured in a car accident you need to call professionals to help assist with your case. Schreuders Compensation Lawyers are the type of legal team that you will want as they will go to trial for you. You need to look for a legal team with trial experience as there are far too many lawyers that settle without ever going to court. Many lawyers will take on your case for free until they win the case so the financial aspect of finding a lawyer should not concern you.
As you can see if you do the above things after an accident you can protect yourself both financially and in the court system. Take your time to write out a checklist to make sure you are covering all of your bases.
