When you’ve been involved in a car accident, often the first thing your mind goes to is not potential injuries, but how much repairing your car and medical treatment will cost you.
After all, car accidents can easily cost a minimum of up to $820 per person.
What you do on the scene and after the accident can have a huge impact on both your safety and the coverage you’re entitled to.
In this post, you’ll learn the basics of what to do after a car accident.
Read on to learn the best ways to ensure you get the settlement you deserve.
1. Document Everything on the Scene
If you’re still on the scene, it’s incredibly tough to think clearly about what to do next.
Having a plan in place ahead of time can help.
First, take any photos of your injuries, the other car and your car, and license plates.
Collect the other driver’s contact information, as well as the badge numbers of any police officers involved. Make sure you take the names and numbers of any witnesses, too.
2. Seek Medical Care
If you were in a car accident, it’s imperative that you seek immediate medical care.
This is true even if you don’t feel like you’ve sustained any injuries due to the accident. Remember, you may experience delayed onset injuries or have internal injuries.
Remember to keep all your medical bills/receipts. This is true for not just care, but also for transportation to that care, medications, and more.
3. Call Your Insurance Company
After a car accident, you’ll need to call both your car insurance and health insurance companies and inform them of the accident.
Remember that the sooner you do this, the sooner you’ll be able to file and receive assistance with a claim. You are not prioritized by the extent of your injuries or the level of damage to your car.
Instead, you’ll get a call back in the order in which your call was received.
If you were involved in a car accident, never take a lower offer than you know you’re entitled to. Insurance companies will often lowball you to stop you from calling them again and becoming a nuisance.
Wait, and know when to…
4. Get a Lawyer
How do you know when to file a car accident claim?
If you’ve sustained severe injuries as a result of an accident that was not your fault, you need to lawyer up. The same goes if your insurance company is offering you incredibly low rates, not returning your calls, or attempting to deny you coverage at all.
You will also need to file a lawsuit if you’ve attempted, but failed, to settle out of court with the other driver involved in the accident.
Act Now If You’ve Been Involved in a Car Accident
The most important thing to remember if you’ve been involved in a car accident is to act quickly.
Lawsuit limitations can expire quickly, and you could end up being stuck with hefty medical and car insurance bills.
To learn more about what to look for in an accident attorney, DIY car repairs you can do yourself, and how to collect witness statements, keep checking back in with our blog.
