4 Essential Steps You Should Take Immediately After an Accident

Getting into an accident is often one of the most traumatic experiences you can ever encounter in your life. As a result, most people fail to take the necessary steps after an accident to protect their interests due to shock.

If you fail to follow the necessary steps after an accident, you can damage your case. Thus, if you ever get into an accident with another motorists, discover four steps you should take to protect yourself.

After an accident, the parties involved are responsible for protecting other motorists on the road. As a result, you should secure the scene by setting up flares, placing traffic triangles at a distance from the scene, or turning on your hazard lights. These steps warn oncoming motorists of the danger ahead so they get to slow down before reaching the accident scene.

If you fail to secure the scene, this can result in other motorists colliding with your car and making a more significant accident scene. Thus, failing to warn oncoming motorists of the accident scene can make you the at-fault party for causing extra collisions. Hence, you might be liable to compensate the other motorists for any damages or injuries. 

Even if no casualties or injuries happen after an accident, call the police immediately. The sooner the police arrive, the sooner they can:

If you delay calling the police, the other motorist may decide to drive away, which can lead to a hit-and-run scenario). Furthermore, people who saw the accident occur may disperse. This can leave you without any eyewitnesses to back up your account of the accident.

Before the police leave the scene, gather records and evidence of the accident. The evidence and documentation will play a critical role in supporting your insurance claim later. Discover the vital pieces of evidence and documentation you need to collect before filing an insurance claim:

Your insurance company will ask for evidence and documentation of the accident when filing a claim. Thus, all the above information is crucial when filing an insurance claim after an accident.

If this is your first time filing an insurance claim after an accident, you may not know the proper procedures to follow. As a result, making a mistake that costs you your compensation might be easy to do. 

Hire a car accident lawyer to help you file the insurance claim. After filling the insurance claim, your car accident lawyer will play a critical role in following up on your claim. Furthermore, your lawyer can negotiate a favorable settlement with insurance adjusters on your behalf.

At Cartee & Lloyd Attorneys at Law, we provide legal counsel for persons in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and even train accidents. Therefore, if you are the victim of a car or motorcycle accident,  contact us  for comprehensive legal counsel on your property damage or personal injury claims. We look forward to being there for you during this trying time and are happy to answer any questions you have. Let us know how we can assist you with your case today.