Getting into a car accident is sometimes inevitable. You might be following the rules and maintaining a safe distance between your car and the car in front of you; however, before you know it, your car gets hit by another car.
So, the question is what to do if you have gotten into a car accident and it is not your fault.
Read on to learn more.
Get Yourself in A Safe Position
It doesn’t matter whether your car has been hit from the front or the back; you must get yourself in a safe position first. This aspect indicates that you must try to stop your car on the side of the road so that you don’t cause unnecessary traffic jams for the incoming traffic. However, if you aren’t in a position to take your car on the side of the road, you must stop your car and turn on the indicators so that you can signal the incoming traffic.
Assess Yourself for Injuries
Once you have stopped your car, you must assess yourself for injuries. Also, assess the passengers for injuries. If you can get out of the car, check on the passengers of all the involved cars for potential injuries. If you detect injuries, make sure to call the ambulance right away so that you can get medical help.
It is important to mention here that you must get yourself checked at all costs. You cannot ignore this important step because you might need to prove your medical records and lost wages to the insurance company as well as the jury later.
Call An Attorney
Calling an attorney right away is incredibly important, especially if your car has gotten damaged and if you or your loved ones have sustained an injury. If you cannot call an attorney yourself, you might want to ask someone you trust to do what is needed for you. With the attorney by your side, you will have the help of a legal expert; you will have a professional expert by your side who can help negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company and make sure that you get the rightful compensation for your financial and non-financial damages.
Collect Information
After you have called the police, the ambulance, and the attorney, your next step is to collect crucial information. On that note, you must ask the involved drivers for their license plate numbers, contact details, and the details of their insurance companies. You will also want to take note of the contact information of potential witnesses who might have seen the accident.
Make a list of the details and also a short summary of the witness statements so that your lawyer can use these details later at the time of negotiating your case with the insurance company and the jury if you need to take the case to trial.
Final Thoughts
Make sure to take photos of the incident, too. So, you might want to take pictures of the road condition, the involved cars, the damage to your car, and the injuries sustained.
