What to do After a Car Accident

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What to do after a car accident
(Photo : pixabay)

Even minor car accidents can be terrifying experiences, regardless of whether or not any party involved suffers any form of injury. In the heat of the moment, it  can be easy to forget about some important steps to take that could help you down the line.

From gathering the right information from the right people, through to receiving support and guidance from a professional and highly-experienced car accident lawyer in Long Island or elsewhere, there's a lot that you should be thinking about. Here, we'll discuss some of the things that you should do immediately after a car accident.

Take a moment

Catch your breath first and assess the situation as much as possible. Is anyone injured? If so, how bad are the injuries? Does anyone require immediate medical attention and do you need to call an ambulance immediately? Can your car still function enough to move out of the way of oncoming traffic?

Taking in everything for a little before reacting could help you see things a little clearer and better clarify everything in your mind. This could be important, as if you're asked for your version of events, it's vital that your recollection is as accurate and error-free as possible, especially if the other driver or drivers have differences in their stories.

Exchange details

Exchanging details is one of the most important things you can do immediately after a car accident. Primarily, this will be exchanging contact details and insurance information with any other drivers involved in the crash.

That said, you should also look around for any witnesses nearby who could have seen what happened. If you can get the contact details of anyone who saw the crash, you might be able to use their story to corroborate and back up your version of events, which could help the success of any insurance claims you make in the future.

Photograph any damage

Whether its damage to your car, or a physical injury you've sustained during the crash, taking photos can help provide you with a bank of evidence that you can use if you make a claim, or, as it happens, one of the other drivers involved believes you to be at fault and makes a claim against you.

It's a possibility that the lawyer leading a case against you could suggest that damage wasn't as serious as you believe it to be, or that the cost of repairs can't have been as high as you're suggesting. Photographic evidence can clearly demonstrate the severity of any damage sustained and protect you from approaches such as this.

Contact the police

Even in a minor car accident, it's important to call 911 and notify the authorities. If the accident is serious enough to require significant police presence, they will be able to monitor the situation from an experienced point of view, as they will have dealt with car accidents before. This can be helpful to ensure that traffic can be monitored correctly, and that the scene of the crash is dealt with professionally.

However, one other key reason to contact the police is that your car insurance provider may require you to provide a police report number when you get in touch with them about the accident. Having this information as soon as possible could help your insurance provider work more effectively when offering you guidance.after the accident.

Contact your insurance

Some states, like New York, operate under a "no-fault" insurance policy, which might put you off filing a claim of your own, especially when you're the victim. However, it's important to note that policies like this can differ. For example, New York's no-fault insurance only covers personal injury and potential loss of earnings up to a cap of $50,000 per person. It also doesn't protect drivers from any private claim made against them in addition to no-fault coverage, and it doesn't cover property damage or repairs.

This is why it's so important to contact your insurance at the earliest convenience. With a clear story of what happened and photographic evidence collected, your insurance providers will be able to provide you with the best support possible. It could be that they provide you with a car accident lawyer, with the advice to push forward and make a claim towards the at-fault driver in order to recover your losses and get money back from any repairs to your automobile..

In any case, keeping a clear head, methodically processing the situation, and taking on board the advice of the professionals who are there to support you can help you recover mentally, physically and financially from a bad car accident.

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