Hopefully, you will never get into a car accident. It is never a pleasant experience. However, there is a good chance that you will be involved in an accident either directly or indirectly at some point in your life. If this happens, you need to know what to do. Here are five things that are critical to do if you are ever in this situation:
Call the police and check the safety of others
Immediately after the accident occurs, you need to appraise the health of every person involved in the accident. If any person is complaining of any kind of discomfort, make note of it. Call the police. Obtain a copy of the police report. The police can help if another driver caused the accident and they were breaking the law when the accident occurred. It can be a stressful situation, but do your best to remain calm and provide the officer with as many details as you can remember.
Get medical attention
Get any injuries treated, ever if they seem minor. You should have all injuries documented with your doctor. This is important because insurance companies will often try to claim that your condition was pre-existing in an attempt to avoid paying a settlement.
Contact an attorney
You will need to contact an attorney that is experienced in car accidents. Their initial consultation will be free. The attorney will assist you in getting through the various legal issues and developments that frequently result from getting into a car accident. If you have been in a car accident, contact a Louisville Accident Lawyer to assist you. They will have the experience you need to get you through this tough time.
Document everything
It is critical that everything that occurred at the scene of the accident be thoroughly documented. Keep a pad and pen in your car for these situations. Find out the following information:
- The exact date, location and time of the accident
- The names, license plate numbers and phone numbers of every person that was involved.
- You will also need the names of the passengers.
- Do not allow any witnesses to leave without obtaining their contact information. This is important because you may need their testimony if there is a dispute about what caused the accident.
- Weather, road and visibility conditions
- Insurance information of every driver.
- A list of injuries and damages.
- A diagram of the accident and your account of what happened.
Contact your insurance company
You must always inform your insurer that you have been in an accident. Let them know quickly, because some companies will penalize you if you do not.
