Millions of people are involved in car accidents every year. When they occur, car accidents can be devastating. Whether you have been involved in a minor bump, or a more serious accident that has caused injuries, you will need to file a car accident claim in order to receive compensation. Not only will you need compensation to repair the damage done to your vehicle, but for your injuries and other costs as well.
When a car accident occurs, you may be anxious, hurt, and not quite know what to do next. Here are some steps to follow in order to make the process of filing a car accident claim a little easier during this frustrating time.
It is important to call the police to the scene immediately after the accident occurs. The authorities need to evaluate the scene of the accident and write a report which will be vital to your insurance reimbursement. The police will also interview any witness, and take a thorough inventory of the accident scene. Both parties involved in the accident will need to fill out a report including a detailed account of how the accident happened. Don’t forget to make note of the police officer’s name that helped you with your accident. Often times, the insurance will need this information when filing your car accident claim.
If someone has been injured in the accident, be sure to call for medical attention. Depending on the area where the accident occurred, some authorities will call the proper medical experts to the scene for you. If you know that someone is injured immediately after the accident it is best to call for medical attention right away. The sooner they arrive to the scene, the better. Calling as soon as possible may result in saving someone’s life.
Each party has the right and the responsibility to collect the other party’s personal information. Not only is this necessary for filing a car accident claim, but it is helpful in case you need to contact the person regarding your injuries or damaged property. Be sure to get the insurance information from the other party involved. It is also important to get the person’s address, phone number, and license plate number.
You may want to take your own pictures of the accident scene. Grab your smartphone and snap a few pictures of your damaged property, any injuries you may have incurred, as well as any other evidence that you see as important. These pictures will come in extremely handy when you are attempting to get compensation from the other party’s insurance. Keep in mind that a picture can describe a thousand words. Where stories and reports may be misinterpreted, a picture can describe exactly what happened.
Hopefully, there were witnesses to the accident scene. If you can find anyone who was a witness to your accident, be sure to get their personal information, including their name, address, and phone number. The insurance company may need to call the witnesses and verify the story, or simply get their point-of-view of what happened. You may have a few people that don’t wish to talk; however, you can just ask them if you can list their name and number on your car accident claim.
Depending on the severity of the accident and the injuries that you received, you may need to contact an injury lawyer to help you with you case. Reputable injury lawyers will help you to receive fair compensation from your insurance company so that you can pay for your injury related expenses, property damage, and any other costs that occurred because of the accident. Many accident lawyers will listen to your case for free and let you know whether or not they can help you.