Car accidents are common occurrences. At some stage in their lives, virtually everyone will be involved in at least one.
So, most people will likely need the services of a car wreck lawyer to help them to sort things out at some stage in their lives. This is especially the case if you are unlucky enough to be involved in a serious crash, one in which you or someone else is injured or the cost of repairing the damage is high. Hopefully, this does not happen to you and any vehicle accident you have will be a minor one.
Either way, how you handle things immediately after the accident will have a big impact on how well things turn out for you. With this in mind, we have summarized the most important things you need to do after a crash.
Always stop
In most parts of the world, it is illegal not to stop and check everyone is OK after an accident. Provided it is safe to do so, you should always do this. If someone needs medical attention, play your part in making sure that they get it. Call an ambulance if necessary.
Call the police
If you are required by law to do so, ring the police. Even if it is not a legal requirement, consider doing so. The attendance of the police may help to calm the situation down and ensure that proper evidence is gathered.
Secure the scene
Provided it is safe to do so, get out of your vehicle and look at the scene. Consider if the position of the vehicles represents a safety hazard to other drivers. Do your best to reduce the danger. Put your hazard lights on, maybe deploy warning triangles or alert oncoming vehicles by waving your arms. But, be very careful when doing this. It is all too easy to do the wrong thing and inadvertently cause another accident.
In some situations, you may have to, with the help of others, move the vehicles out of the way. If you do have to do that, it is worth trying to take a photo or two to capture the scene. This article will help you to correctly assess the situation.
Gather evidence
It is very important to gather evidence of what happened. You will need photos of the damage to show your lawyer and the insurance company. It is a good idea to draw a diagram of the scene. Potentially, you can use the free tools on this website to make it easier for you to do this. As soon as you can, you should sit down and write out what happened. Later, look at it again and add in any more details you remember.
Speak to your lawyer and insurance firm
If you have decided to use a vehicle accident lawyer to help you with your claim, call them. Once you have spoken to them ring your insurance company to get the claims process going. Your lawyer will have explained what you should and should not say when you contact them.