Car accidents can be really devastating for the victims. There are almost 5 to 6 million car accident cases that get filed every year in America. The worst part is that the number of such accidents does not seem to be going down. In fact, it is increasing with every passing year. Car accidents can be minor or severe. When the severity of the car accidents is mild, you are able to get out of the car and ensure your safety. But when car accidents are severe, you may be severely injured and do not know what happened. For the victims, the worst part of car accidents is that the crash seems to be the beginning of the worst phase of their lives. But to smooth out the situation or circumstance, you need to follow these 8 steps. According to the experts, it is recommended that following certain steps would guide you through the process and help you to make the right decision.
Whenever you meet with a car accident, the very first thing would be to ensure your safety. Check yourself — Whether you are able to move? Do you feel hurt? Are you bleeding? Do you feel pain and discomfort while moving? When you realize that you are uninjured and perfectly fine, analyze the situation outside. Understand where you are; don’t immediately try to jump out of the car. Most often, in cases involving car accidents, the vehicles get pushed to the far end of the road or in the middle of the road. So you must get out of the car and onto the road only when you are sure that you are in the safe zone. If your car is in a dangerous position and none of the parts seem to be working, place a call to 911 and specify your exact location. The emergency responders would carefully extricate you from the damaged vehicle in a safe manner.
If you think that in a collision, involving multiple vehicles, there are many people who are injured, then you must call for an ambulance immediately. If possible, you can provide them with medical first aid.
If you find yourself injured after a car accident, immediately call for medical aid and get first aid treatment. Later on, you must consult your doctors to examine whether you have suffered any kind of internal injuries or other lasting damages due to the accident.
The police officers would analyze the situation, block off the section of the road where the accident took place, and ask you questions about the entire scenario. Besides this, the police will gather relevant information about the people who were injured in the collision and inform their family members and relatives. Moreover, when filing cases of car accidents, there needs to be a police report along with the statements of people who witnessed the car accident happening. Both the drivers (or more people who were involved in the collision) would have to produce their driving licenses at the police station.
Although the police will be conducting the procedure meticulously, you also need to gather all the evidence from your end. If you are considering raising a car accident claim against the driver, then it would be extremely important for you to gather all the relevant information. You must take photos of the road, the vehicles that were damaged, note down the number of people who were injured. While taking the pictures, ensure that you are collecting information like the license plates, makes and models of the vehicles involved in the crash, distinguishing characteristics such as bumper stickers, and the positioning of the vehicles on the road. All this information would be helpful in getting the insurance claim cleared and filing a lawsuit against the faulty driver.
After taking pictures and noting relevant information, try to identify whether there were any witnesses who noticed the accident take place. If yes, talk to them! The witnesses know exactly how and when the accident took place and who should be considered at fault. This won’t be the official statement but will be really helpful to your lawyers and the insurance claim adjusters.
When you notify the insurance company that you have met with an accident, they would start the process by getting information regarding the car accident. Post verification of all the details, they would provide the insurance payout for the injuries and the damages that have happened to the vehicle.
Having an experienced lawyer by your side is extremely helpful. They would guide you through the entire process — filing the lawsuit, protecting your legal rights, and most importantly, winning the case for you.
No one would like to be involved in any car accidents, but if you are caught in a situation where you find yourself hit by some other car or if the car collision has happened due to uncertain reasons, then you must be prepared to handle the situation. The aforementioned points will help you to work out such a grievous situation smoothly.
Views: 0