What To Do If There Is An Accident
Q. What should I do at the scene of an accident?
A.; STOP Immediately and move only if it is safe to do so.
- Obtain names, addresses, telephone numbers, and driver’s license numbers from all drivers.;
- Obtain license plate and vehicle identification numbers.; Ask to see driver’s license and vehicle registration to verify the information is accurate.
- Obtain names, addresses, and telephone numbers of other passengers and any witnesses.
- If you have a camera or a cellphone, take photographs of the damage, and the accident scene .
- If the owner of a damaged car or damaged property cannot be located, leave a note with the names and addresses of the driver and owners of the involved cars.
- Notify your agent and/or your insurance company immediately.;
- If anyone is injured or the vehicle damage exceeds $750.00, you must report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days. Failure to notify the DMV may result in the suspension of your driver’s license.
File An Accident Claim With Your Insurance Company
In the days following a car accident with injuries, its important to file an accident claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Your insurance policy may have requirements for how quickly after an accident you must contact them. Your insurance claim may be rejected if you fail to file the claim on time.
Once youre physically and mentally able, call your insurance agent to describe the circumstances of your accident. If you already have a qualified auto accident attorney, they can follow up with your insurance adjuster for you.
Remember that the insurance company is a business. They may try to reduce the amount of compensation they are willing to pay out to accident victims to minimize their losses. Keep in mind the things that you should and should not say to insurance when reporting an accident.
How Long Do You Have To Report An Injury After A Car
Oct 23, 2019 Its important to act swiftly when reporting a personal injury after a car accident. You may have limited time to file a claim to seek;
In certain cases, you may also be able to file a personal injury claim in court against one or both of the drivers who were in the crash. What to do Directly;
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Neglect To Seek Immediate Medical Care
Seeking care and treatment, if necessary as soon as possible is vital to your well-being. As it happens, its also crucial to your case when you seek compensation for an injury. Our experience shows that if you do not seek medical treatment shortly after your injury, insurance companies are likely to use that against you when you make a claim. They will argue that if you were really hurt, you would have sought treatment sooner. We know, however, that some injuries can take time to appear, and some minor injuries can worsen over time.
S To Take After A Car Accident
Youre driving along and suddenly the unexpected happens you get involved in an accident. Perhaps someone else ran into your car, you ran into another vehicle, you hit a deer that jumped out from nowhere, or you ran into a parked vehicle. No matter what the situation is, when you are in a car accident, you need to know what to do next.
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Decide Whether To File A Claim
If an accident was your fault and the damage looks minor, its tempting to offer to pay cash for the other drivers repairs. But it might be costlier than you think. According to Consumer Reports, a number of test crashes at just 10 mph produced damage that looked minor but priced out at $3,000 to $6,000.
You might still have to use your own insurance upfront, even if a crash was the other drivers fault. Heres how it works:
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File a claim with your insurance company and be prepared to pay a deductible. Your insurer will communicate with the other drivers insurance company and refund your deductible if needed.
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If you live in a no-fault state, your own PIP coverage pays for injuries to yourself and anyone in the car with you.
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The other drivers insurance company will investigate whether its client was at fault. After that, either youll be asked to get a repair estimate or an adjuster will assess the damage.
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The company may cover medical costs unless you live in a no-fault state. But in both cases youll be reimbursed only up to the at-fault drivers liability limits.
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If thats not enough to pay all the bills, you could turn to your own collision coverage, if you have it, or your own underinsured motorist coverage, which is not required in every state. Deductibles likely apply for both.
Capture Pictures Videos And Audio Records
Some of the details to capture include:
- The name and contact information of the other driver and any passengers
- The cars license plates
- Insurance coverage numbers
- Any damage to your vehicle and the other persons vehicle; focus on getting as many pictures of the damage to your vehicle as possible.
- The part of the road on which the accident occurred: this will be necessary in case you need to prove that you were driving on the correct side of the road when the accident occurred.
- Bodily injuries, if any, to yourself, the other driver, and any passengers in your vehicle and any other vehicle involved in the accident.
- The names and contact information of eyewitnesses who were not involved in the accident.
Besides taking pictures, you can record audios or videos of the conversations going on. However, chances are that not all parties involved will take this kindly. So, store your videos or audios in the cloud or share on social media using your mobile app immediately after you capture them. You can later retrieve them and put them together as evidence.
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Wait For The Insurance Company To Do The Right Thing
We see it all the time. People want to wait-and-see what the insurance company does first. These are usually clients who trust insurance to do right by them. Insurance companies make money by limiting their payouts. Your best interests do not align with theirs!
Simply by waiting, many people end up damaging their cases beyond repair by not preserving evidence, saying something to an adjuster that seems innocent but winds up being used against them, or inadvertently committing any of the other mistakes outlined here. Meanwhile, the insurance company will almost certainly be working to limit their losses and pay less.
What Damages Can I Collect For A Car Accident John Foy
Property damage claims are often handled separately from personal injury claims, but you would still be seeking compensation from the at-fault drivers;
The Motor Accident Solicitors Society is an association of solicitors experienced in dealing with personal injuries resulting from motor accidents.
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Put Your Health And Safety First
Car Accident Lawyer | The Levin Firm
In the immediate seconds after a car accident occurs, its likely someone will call 911 to make sure emergency response teams come to the scene. During this time, you need to balance your personal needs with doing what you can to help make an insurance claim and lawsuit go smoothly. Many times these goals align, but when they dont, you need to always put your health and safety first. The adrenaline that rushes into your system after a car accident might prevent you from feeling pain, even if youre injured. If you can safely move your car out of traffic, you should do so and wait for medical teams to arrive. Do not leave the scene of the accident.
If the car accident occurs at high speeds, you will likely suffer severe injuries and paramedics will immediately transport you to the nearest emergency room. If you are lucky enough to walk away from a severe accident, you still need to seek medical attention. Some injuries, such as whiplash or traumatic brain injuries , dont present symptoms for hours or days after the accident.
A doctor can document any visible or internal injuries, making them a part of your medical record. This provides valuable leverage for insurance companies, who often try to devalue claims by downplaying injuries. In the event you file a personal injury lawsuit against an at-fault driver, medical documentation also serves as evidence of your injury for the court.
Protect Evidence At The Scene
To get compensation for injuries resulting from the accident, youll have to prove you were actually hurt during the accident. This means you should document everything to help you win the claim.
As soon as youre able to, start taking photos of the accident site. Focus on the vehicles involved, people involved, and conditions that may have contributed to the accident.
The photos of your injuries should show how they have affected your life afterward. This will be valuable to your attorney when filing for compensation. Additionally, remember to keep copies of your medical expenses as evidence of your injuries after a car accident.
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How Our Lawyers Can Help With Hidden Injuries Claims
Getting help from a Georgia car accident lawyer is essential if you wish to recover appropriate compensation for hidden injuries. The at-fault drivers insurer is likely to push back against your claim, but the car accident lawyers at Butler Law Firm have the legal knowledge and dedication to make a strong argument on your behalf. We can take care of the case while you focus on your medical recovery.
If youre ready to talk to an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer, the Butler Law Firm is ready to listen. Contact us for a free initial consultation.
Is Pain And Suffering Awarded After A Minor Car Accident
In nearly every car accident case where an injured driver or passenger makes an insurance claim or files a lawsuit, the claimant or plaintiff seeks to;
Jan 6, 2020 1. Initial Investigation · 2. Treatment for Injuries · 3. File Claim With Your Insurance Company · 4. Initial Consultation With a Car Accident;
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Keep All Records Pertaining To The Accident And Its Aftermath
Maintain records of your accident, including your police report, photos and/or notes you took, conversations you had with the insurance company, medical treatment, repair estimates, and any other relevant information. These documents will be useful if you pursue a personal injury claim.
Remember, there are laws that require you to report accidents , and those laws vary by state. Knowing what to do is a step in the right direction, especially if youre dealing with an injury as a result of a crash that wasnt your fault. Following these steps could strengthen your claim for compensation. Every case is unique, so its best to gather and keep all the information about your accident. It may be important down the road.
S: What To Do After A Car Accident Injury
More than;2.5 million people get injured;in car accidents every year.
Most of these injuries are severe and may require expensive medical treatments.
Sadly, most insurance providers offer minimal settlements that dont cover the full expenses resulting from car accidents. One of the major reasons why most people dont get adequate compensation is the lack of knowledge of the legal processes required.
If you have a similar problem,; Our St. Louis car accident attorneys have compiled a list of what to do here:
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Document Other Pertinent Information
There can often be a lot of activity on the scene of a car accident, from the other driver, any passengers, police, paramedics, and even witnesses or bystanders. Once you have exchanged insurance information with the other driver, here are some other things to document:
Take photos of the damage to both vehicles, even if you and the other driver dont agree on the level of damage Take a photo of the drivers license plate Ask the police officer for the police report number and how to get a copy Ask for the police officers name, badge number, and phone number Ask any witnesses for their contact information, but do not pressure them to say anything to the police officer on your behalf Jot down notes or take photos of any other potentially relevant information
What Happens After An Accident
Home » What Happens After an Accident
Its hard to know what to do after an accident. They happen suddenly, and the adrenaline and shock can make thinking clearly very difficult. And yet, in the moments right after a collision when you may be facing severe injuries or thousands of dollars of property damage youll face several serious questions and decisions you need to make.
You may be a driver in a two-car collision, a motorcyclist run off the road, a motorist rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, or a pedestrian struck by an automobile. But regardless, youll need to know what to do after a vehicle accident if its not your fault or even if it is.
Here, well go through some of the common problems you may face and outline what to do if youre involved in an accident. Bookmark this page on your smartphone for quick reference in an emergency.
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Concussions After A Car Accident
Your brain is well-protected by your skull and the fluid inside of it. However, if you strike your head, or your body is violently jolted, your brain may strike the inside of your skull with great force. If this happens during the course of a car accident, you may sustain a concussion.
Concussions can be very serious, and the symptoms do not often show up immediately. Sometimes the symptoms are obvious , but they can also be more subtle. Here is a list of concussion symptoms:
- clouded thinking
- lack of energy, and
- abnormal sleep patterns
If you exhibit any of these signs following a car accident, you may have a concussion; and you should seek medical attention.
What To Do Immediately After The Incident
Most of the accident follow-up will be in the days, weeks and months following your car accident, but there are also steps you should take at the scene of the incident too, such as:
- Taking the other driver’s name, address, registration number and insurance details
- Taking photos of the scene of the accident
- Taking photos of your both your vehicle and any other vehicles
- DONT admit fault. Youre likely in shock and may not be thinking straight
- Taking down details of any witnesses
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Have You Suffered One Of These Common Injuries After A Car Accident
If youve suffered an injury after a car crash, we may be able to help you get the financial compensation you deserve. Call us right away at 833-214-HURT and well come visit you at home or in the hospital to talk about whether you may be entitled to money that helps pay your medical bills, make up for lost wages and covers your future medical treatment.
Seek Legal Guidance On What To Do After A Car Accident Injury
The first few moments after a wreck can be scary, disorientating, and painful and it is common not to know what to do after a car accident injury. In the aftermath of an accident, you shouldnt have to handle an injury claim alone.
The Miley Legal Group focuses on the needs of our clients, allowing you to concentrate on healing from your injuries instead of worrying about your case. If youre wondering what to do after a car accident injury, contact us today for a free consultation.
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Secure Kids Pets Elders And Disabled
Its easy after a car accident to get distracted and make mistakes you otherwise would not with loved ones and pets that might lead to additional injury.
If this is a fender bender or minor collision, dont leave young children, pets, disabled adults or non-ambulatory elders;in a hot, locked car after the accident. Just as you wouldnt leave them in the car to run into a store or other business, dont leave the engine off with them in a hot car while you deal with the accident details.
If children traveling with you during the crash are young enough to be in car seats, dont remove them from the car seats after the accident. They may have injuries you cant see, so let a first responder remove them from their car seats to assess them for injuries.
Make sure other children stay in the car when its safe, so they dont they dont get injured. Do the same for non-ambulatory elders or otherwise incapacitated people traveling with you, even if they are frightened or agitated.
Collecting The Right Information
You should always keep important information in your car, like registration, proof of insurance and the name and phone number of your insurance professional, explains Holeman. Its also a good idea to carry important medical information, such as known allergies and the name of your doctor, he adds. Have similar information for loved ones and pets on hand or easily available.
As you start the document exchange process, Exchange insurance and contact information only, says Passmore. That prevents you from saying anything that could get used against you later. Holeman provides this list of what you should collect for insurance claims:
- Name and contact information
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