Unexpected Accidents Can Leave You Confused For a Long Time
Sometimes no matter how many precautions you take, you can get into an accident. While at times you can be at fault, at other times it could be the fault of another person. In the US alone 5.6 billion accidents take place every year on an average.
After the accident, you need to cope with physically getting fit again, overcoming the mounting expenses of medical bills, and repairing your car. For all these purposes, you need to make sure that you get a fair settlement to get what you are owed.
To make sure that you get a fair settlement, you need to follow some steps to ensure that you have done everything properly as per the law. When all the documents and steps are taken correctly, you are reassured that all the expenses will be covered and you will not face any legal charges in the future.
Below are 6 steps that you should follow when you get in an accident. These steps start from the very moment the accident takes place. Hopefully, you will never be a victim of an accident, but if you are then the below steps will keep you prepare for what’s to come.
Calmly Check Yourself For Injuries
This is the first step you need to take. The initial shock from the accident can be so extreme at times that you may not even notice that you have any injuries or are bleeding. You feel numbness. By calming yourself down you will be able to deal with the aftermath of the accident in a better way. Practice some quick calming techniques like deep breathing to help you. Check if you have any injuries and also check all the passengers to see if they are fine. If you or your passengers appear to be hurt, call 911 for help. If anyone in the vehicle is seriously injured try not to move them or pull them out of the car. If you are severely hurt, stay in the same position and don’t try to move till the ambulance arrives.
Move Your Vehicle To A Safe Spot
If you are on a busy highway or road wherein the traffic is heavy, then try to move away to clear the track for other cars. This way the police and ambulance service too will not be stuck in a traffic jam and can reach you sooner. If the accident takes place at night, move to a safe spot on the side of the road and keep your hazard lights on for other vehicles to see. You can use the emergency kit in your card which includes flares or reflective triangles to direct the traffic away from your vehicle. If for some reason, you cannot move the vehicle, then try to get out of the car and move yourself and your passenger to the side of the road where it is safe to stand.
Take Down Details
Try to jot down all the details that are still fresh in your mind. You may forget some important points later. Takedown the details of the other cars like their car registration number, type of car, and so on, that are involved in the accident. Then write down other details like the time, location, and other landmarks around where the accident took place. Take pictures of all the vehicles and the damages that are done. Try to understand the reason why the accident took place and make notes of the same.
Cooperate With Investigating Officers
For some people talking to police officers can often be very unnerving. When the police officer arrives, do not start talking until you are spoken to. In your stressful situation, you might end up taking the blame for committing the accident when you actually did not. Cooperate with them by answering all those questions that are asked. Anything said to the officers at the scene can be held against you in court. Show the necessary documents that will be asked for like license, insurance copies, car registration papers, and so on.
Exchange Information With Other Parties
Take the accident report from the investigating officer to make sure that all that was said is written correctly and there are no incorrect facts that can frame you in later stages. Exchange contact information with other drivers as you may need to show them when you file for insurance claims. Takedown their contact number, contacts of any witnesses present who can strengthen your account of the accident, and details of the police officers who investigated your case.
Hire An Attorney
When you have all these details, you will be able to see clearly if you need to hire a legal attorney to represent yourself. If you see that the facts are distorted, you can use the Just Call Moe service to help you represent your case in court. If the settlement amount is not right and the insurance claims as well seem to be undervalued, you will need an attorney who will fight for you in court. The accident report is mandatory in these cases so make sure you have a copy of the same with you. In this report, all the details of the accident will be written down by the law enforcement officers and this will be used by the judge to decide who was at fault.
At any point after the accident, do not try to flee the scene as that can end up in a criminal charge against you. This is also a sign that you are guilty. If you were not at fault, do not lose your cool at the other driver and do not use abusive language. Let the lawyers do their job by checking the fact and then fighting for what is right.
Lawyers are more equipped with cases similar to yours so they can use the right ways to make sure you get a fair settlement. Once you do get it, you can then concentrate on gaining back your confidence driving on the roads safely once again.