If you have been in a car accident, then it is important to know what steps you need to take. Many things can happen after an accident, so knowing what needs to be done will help make the process easier for everyone involved. In this blog post, we will go over 6 of those steps and their importance.
Contact The Lawyer
If the damages are more than $500, then it is highly recommended to contact an attorney. This may sound counter-intuitive because most people want to avoid paying for legal advice if they don’t have to, but insurance companies know that you’re not a lawyer and will try every trick in the book to get out of paying what’s owed by using loopholes even when there isn’t one present! Taking this extra step of hiring an auto accident lawyer ensures that your claim won’t be denied or delayed while attorneys search for errors on behalf of their clients which can turn into months of waiting before any money exchanges hands. Don’t take chances with having someone who knows car accident law read overall papers given, make sure they do so immediately!
You’ll need proof showing anyone involved in this accident knew you were in a vehicle which is why the personal injury protection coverage comes into play since it protects against bodily harm from accidents that happen while using an insured car. This type of insurance does not cover damage done to the person’s vehicle so remember what kind you have when filing for damages with your insurer or body shop!
Call the Police
If an accident is bad enough, then it will need to be reported. The police can come and file a report for everyone to get their side of the story straight so that you do not have any discrepancies later on down the road. Police reports are important because they show who was at fault when accidents happen. It can help out with insurance claims as well since insurance companies prefer to know what happened before paying up or denying claims. If nothing serious has occurred, such as injuries or fatalities; this should be a pretty straightforward process where both parties have information and decide how much damage has been done to both vehicles. If there are any injuries, then it is best to call an ambulance immediately since the severity requires immediate medical attention.
It might be a little intimidating for you or the other driver when the police arrive at an accident scene because it could mean that someone will get in trouble and have charges pressed against them. However, this does not happen very often after car accidents unless one of the drivers was under influence or intoxicated which means they were not able to make good decisions behind the wheel. Nobody wants their day ruined by getting ticketed for something small like parking too close to another vehicle…right?! But even though this may seem frightening, insurance companies still prefer knowing exactly what happened when accidents occur.
Exchange Information
After the police and ambulance have arrived and everyone is checked upon, it’s time to get down to business. Both parties will need to exchange their personal information so that each driver can file an insurance claim with their respective companies for repairs or medical expenses if needed. Make sure you have your vehicle registration card, license, contact numbers (home & cell), car make/model/year, insurance company name & policy number along with deductible amount just in case something goes wrong later on down the road. If any of this information changes before visiting a body shop, then be sure to let them know as soon as possible. This means keeping updated phone numbers as well since some shops prefer calling over emailing makes things easier for all involved parties.
If you have a newer car with built-in Bluetooth or an older vehicle without this feature, then it is recommended to get a Bluetooth hands-free device. This will make the process of exchanging information much easier since drivers can just enter their insurance info directly into any smartphone and call up another party afterward to confirm that all necessary info has been given out. Using these devices is very common in states where distracted driving laws are enforced such as California because they allow drivers to stay focused on the road when talking on phones which reduces accidents from occurring while behind the wheel.
Check Your Insurance
This is important enough to be mentioned twice. Make sure you call up your insurance company as soon as possible after a car accident happens so that they can start the claim process and send out an appraiser for repairs or medical bills if needed. You will likely need to pay your deductible amount at this time which varies depending on each policy with some companies having lower deductibles than others. This is also where knowing what coverage type you have comes into play since it covers different damages/injuries under certain conditions which require further research before purchasing any kind of auto insurance plan to make smart financial decisions! It isn’t worth paying more money for something that won’t cover damage done, now would it?
Most people are unaware of what full coverage is and end up buying the wrong type of insurance which wastes their money. Your state may require certain types such as liability or personal injury protection so be sure to check with your car dealer, auto finance company, or local DMV for details! If none are available, then you can always contact a representative from an insurance agency online since they should have no problem answering any questions about what kind of plan will best suit your needs and budget…
Take Pictures
Take pictures of the accident scene from every angle possible after all parties involved have left. This will be needed for your insurance claim to show what happened and why it needs fixing or paying medical bills that were already incurred before going into a body shop. Plus, these photos can help with determining who was at fault which is always a good idea because proving someone else’s negligence means you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket! There are certain laws in place regarding when witnesses need to turn over evidence such as this so make sure both sides follow them correctly even if they don’t sound fair on paper…which doesn’t happen very often but accidents do occur unexpectedly since life happens whether we like it or not sometimes…
At least four photos should be taken to provide a clear view of the road, vehicles involved, skid marks if any are present, nearby traffic signals/road signs for reference in case other drivers or pedestrians were nearby during an accident. This is also useful information that can help determine liability which will make things easier on everyone’s end since insurance companies don’t like making exceptions even when accidents happen because it means more paperwork and extra work!
Follow Up
Once the claim has been paid and repairs have started to take place, don’t forget to follow up with the insurance company after you’ve received a check. This will make sure that all mistakes were found and fixed before handing over final paperwork which can be used as evidence if needed in court or for other purposes such as proving liability. Insurance companies like working with customers who know their rights because it means they’ll get everything done quickly without having to put extra demands on representatives since most people aren’t aware of how things should go during an accident! Still not convinced? Then think about this – would you rather pay more money than necessary upfront by purchasing unnecessary coverage or save some cash now so it’s there when something does happen down the road…which is statistically likely to happen multiple times in our lifetimes.
The best way to make sure you understand what’s happening every step of the way is by hiring a lawyer who specializes in car accidents so everything goes smoothly instead of having to worry about missing anything important! That just means more time for relaxing with family and friends while waiting on repairs or getting back into your daily routine without any extra stress added onto already busy days because sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day…especially when working two jobs at once.
Make sure everybody is safe and then make necessary calls like calling an ambulance, exchanging licenses/insurance details, etc. Then document everything right from where there was no traffic till when you got out of your car (if any), what injuries were sustained by all involved. Do not let any of the parties leave until the police arrive and take statements.
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