A car accident can be an upsetting experience. You may be shocked and confused to understand what to do. There is always an increased risk of injury after a car accident. It is important that you remain calm and composed in order to take the necessary precautions right after the road accident.
There are some simple steps that you might want to take to firstly ensure that everyone is safe, to abide by the law and to make your insurance claim valid. Here are 6 simple yet significant steps to take right after a car wreck:
1. Check for Injuries and Physical Harm
The thing that should be given first and foremost attention is to perform a safety check of everyone in the car. First aid and medical attention is the most important step to take right after the accident. If someone is severely injured call emergency assistance and even if there is minor injuries you should first get medical help.
This is important for your well being as well as significant for your insurance claim.
2. Information Exchange with the Driver
Once you have made sure that everyone is safe, the next step to take is the information exchange with all the drivers involved in the car crash. You will need to exchange names, contact numbers, email, address, driver’s license plate numbers, insurance information, etc.
You will need as much information as possible to make an insurance claim.
3. Take Pictures of the Accident and Note down Details
Sometimes due to the trauma, you are unable to recall all the details of the accident afterward. For this reason, you need to note down all the things that happened in the accident. You must note down what you think happened.
If you can find any witnesses around, you can also note down their account. Take pictures of the car wreck and the accident scene. It is better to do this before the police arrive at the scene so that you don’t get into the way of the investigation.
4. Report the Accident
The next step to take after a car accident is to call the police to the scene or go to the nearest police station to file a complete report. Get a copy of the report or ask for the report number. It is better to only report the accident and not incriminate yourself or the parties involved. Give a fair account of what happened and mention any witnesses who saw it happen.
5. Call your Insurance Company
At this stage, you’re ready to place a call to your insurance company to claim for property damages. Your insurance company will guide you on what steps you need to take and will ask you for all the details to start your insurance claim process and to get an accident replacement vehicle like Compass car & make the process easy for you.
6. Get Legal Counsel
The last step to take is to contact a licensed personal injury attorney. Your lawyer will ensure that you follow the correct procedure of making an insurance claim.