Taking A Road Trip? 4 Things To Do After A Car Accident

If you're going to be taking road trips this summer, you should be prepared for the possibility of a car accident. If one happens, you'll need to take action quickly. You may think that being the innocent victim will make it easier to recover your damages. Unfortunately, that's not necessarily true. Even in an accident that is clearly not your fault, you could still be left holding the bag. Here are four steps that will help you avoid problems with your accident claim.

Take Lots of Pictures

When you've been in a car accident, you might not be thinking about grabbing your camera. However, that's exactly what you need to do. Taking pictures of the accident scene will do several things to assist your claim. First, it will document the damage to your vehicle. Second, it will document the location of the accident, including traffic conditions, signs, signals, etc. Third, it will document the other driver.

While you're taking pictures of the scene, grab a few pictures of the other driver, their car, and the actual scene – how the cars are parked in relation to each other. If the other driver refuses to contact their insurance company, you'll have the photos to prove they were there, and how their car came into contact with yours.

Contact Your Insurance Company

You might think that contacting the other driver's insurance company is all you'll have to do. However, if the other driver refuses to accept responsibility for the accident, you might have trouble getting their insurance company to cover the damages to your car, or the care for your injuries. After the accident, contact both insurance companies and give a thorough description of the details.

Get Witness Information

After an accident, witnesses can make it much easier for you to win your claim against the other driver. Before you leave the scene, gather the contact information for anyone who might have witnessed the accident. You'll need names, phone numbers and addresses for each witness. Let them know that you might be contacting them in the future.

Hire an Attorney

If you're involved in an accident, you're going to need legal representation, especially if you've suffered injuries that will put you out of work for a while, or you've suffered significant property damage. Your attorney will handle all the communications with the insurance companies and will help you recover for your lost wages and injuries. It's important that you talk to an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. For more information, contact a local attorney, such as Jack W Hanemann, P.S.


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