We have to start by saying that more than six million vehicle accidents happen each year in the USA. However, most of them only involve property damage.
Generally, one in three car accidents leads to personal injury of passengers or drivers, while the two out of ten of them tend to lead to fatality.
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If you had a car accident, it is essential to follow a specific guide that will help you protect both your interests and yourself. We decided to present you with a guide that will help you during the entire process.
It is understood that you should always stop after an accident, even if the minor one happens. Avoid driving away because you will be liable for it, and that will affect your case in the future.
1.Protect the Scene Before Cops Arrive
The first thing that you should do is to keep the flashers on and set up flares so that no one could affect the situation that happened. If everything happened in the dark and you broke the lights, we recommend you to use the flashlight from your car or mobile device to keep yourself safe.
That way, you will be able to protect your disabled car on the road and yourself before the law enforcement comes. The next step is to call law enforcement so that you can reduce the possibility of problems that may happen.
It is vital to file a police report, which will help you get the insurance settlement for vehicle damage and personal injuries. That way, you will be able to claim with the company that insured your car.
Avoid interfering with the traffic until the cops come, and you should remain on the road without doing anything. It is crucial to call your auto accident attorney in Spartanburg so that you can prevent further issues and miscommunication.
2.Write Everything Down and Take Pictures
When the law enforcement officers come, you should tell them everything that happened without lying. Even if you obtained personal injuries, you need to find ways to describe every single detail because that will help you protect yourself afterward.
Do not say that you feel good if you are not sure whether you are injured. It is essential to be as accurate as possible, which means that you should say that you are not sure so that they can write that in the report.
Often vehicle injuries and pain will happen a few hours after the collision. Therefore, do not make any statement about your condition before the doctors determine whether something happened to you or not.
You need to be accurate about people who witnessed the collision, because that way, you will be able to agree on your side of the story. If you have the strength to take pictures, you should use a mobile device and make everything around the accident.
You should take a picture of visible damage to your vehicle, and if you have transparent injuries, then take photos of them too.
Avoid interfering with the law enforcement investigation, so if you cannot take the pictures when they arrive, you should do it while waiting for them to come.
3.Get Relevant Information of Everyone Who Witnessed
Even though police officers will try to determine all witnesses and participants, you should get the telephone number, address, and name of everyone who was involved, including passengers and drivers.
You should ask them about insurance to present to your lawyer so that you can get the best settlement possible. If someone witnessed the accident, get their information as well so that your lawyer can contact them for your particular case.
On the other hand, if the police arrive, you should also get their police report numbers and badge IDs to use their information for your advantage. If the problem happens on a state highway, you should get a report from the state police instead.
4.Report the Accident to Insurance Company
Finally, you have to report everything to your insurance company or tell your lawyer to do it. Most policies require immediate notification as well as cooperation so that you can get the proper amount.
You should watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OejK9ObWblU to understand the common mistakes people make after a car accident.
You should check out whether the insurance coverage has the medical benefits as well as other coverage’s that will help you reduce the expenses that will happen afterward.
Remember that insurance agents will try to reduce the amount you will get, which is why you will need an attorney to help you get the maximal settlement based on your particular situation.