Being in a car accident is scary, but if you’ve experienced one, you’re not alone. About 6 million car accidents occur every year in the United States, which means many other people are going through the same thing you are. If you find yourself in a car accident, it’s important that you don’t freak out. First of all, it’s perfectly normal, and the most important thing you have to do is make sure no one is injured. Don’t lose your mind. Check on yourself, your loved ones, and the people in the other car. Keep a cool head and follow these steps and again, don’t freak out.
Stop your car and check for injuries
It’s important that you pull over if you find that you’ve caused an accident or are the victim of an accident. Not pulling over could result in criminal penalties, so don’t panic and drive away. Stay calm and pull over. Take the time to make sure everyone in your car is OK and everyone in the other car is OK if two vehicles were involved. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately and request help. If no one is hurt, you can move on to contacting other people.
Call the police
If you were unable to move the vehicles off the road or there’s damage in the road, you need to make sure you contact the police. They’ll help direct traffic around the scene and make sure someone is able to get it cleaned up. You don’t want to cause another accident, so this step is important. If you moved your vehicles off the road and there’s no danger, you can file a police report later. Either way, you’ll need to file a report with the police. You can do this in person or sometimes online or by mail. This creates a record of the accident which will help with your insurance.
Collect information
An important step in this process is collecting information. You need to make sure you get the other driver’s information. Ask them for their insurance information and get important details such as name, phone number, and address. Take pictures of the other car and your own car, taking note of the damage that has occurred. Write down the date, time, and location of the accident, as well as what exactly happened. You’ll want all of these details when you file your report and contact your insurance, so take your time with this step.
Contact your insurance company
Next, you’ll need to contact your insurance company. They should have an emergency claims line so that you can speak to someone immediately. If the damage is extensive, you might want to have your insurance company send an agent to the scene of the accident so they can evaluate it immediately. If that’s not possible, the agent will need to see the vehicle before any work is done on it, so make sure you let the car shop know that if it’s towed in for repairs. Your insurance company will take care of evaluating the damage and letting you know how much you can expect insurance to cover.
Hire a lawyer
Hiring a car accident lawyer can be extremely helpful. Your lawyer will be able to help you understand how to contact the police and the insurance company. If you weren’t at fault for the accident, a lawyer can be especially important. He or she will make sure you’re doing everything correctly and will receive the property compensation for the accident. Without a lawyer, you stand to lose money that you rightfully deserve, so hiring the right lawyer can help relieve stress and ensure you’re fairly compensated.
Being in a car accident can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Stay calm and remember these tips. You and your car will be as good as new in no time.
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