I Ve Had A Car Accident That Was My Fault – More than 10 million car and light truck accidents occur in the United States each year. Being involved in a minor accident can be frustrating, so it’s important to know the next steps to take.
The process of handling an incident begins at the scene, ensuring the safety of all involved. Hopefully you’ll never be in a car accident, but if you do, this seven-step guide can help you figure out what to do.
I Ve Had A Car Accident That Was My Fault
Check yourself and the vehicle’s passengers for any visible injuries. If you think someone in your vehicle or another vehicle involved in the accident was injured, call 911 or have someone else do so. If you are seriously injured, try not to move until help arrives.
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According to the Insurance Information Institute (3), you should get out of the way if possible. If possible, pull over to avoid blocking oncoming traffic. If an accident occurs at night, turn on your car’s hazard lights so other vehicles can see you. If you are unable to move the vehicle, pull yourself and those involved in the accident to a safe location on the side of the road.
An emergency kit with flares or reflective triangles can be used to direct traffic in the event of an accident.
If you are not injured and can assess the damage to your vehicle, take the time to do so. If the cars haven’t been relocated yet, try taking photos showing their location and the damage to each car. If you are unable to take a photo, consider drawing a diagram of the accident while it is still fresh in your memory.
If the accident is serious, the Insurance Information Institute recommends law enforcement respond to the scene. The police may create an accident report and you may request a copy of the report for insurance purposes.
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State laws vary on what information you should share with other drivers after an accident. At a minimum, you must share your name and insurance information. But you can also try to find other helpful information, including:
Car insurance is designed to provide you with financial protection if you are involved in an accident. If you do not live in New Hampshire, you must carry a minimum amount of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. (New Hampshire strongly encourages you to carry it.) Both types of liability coverage are designed to compensate other drivers or their passengers if you are at fault in an accident.
While your policy’s collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle, medical payment coverage or personal injury protection coverage (if applicable) can help pay for your injuries. Your regular health insurance will also help.
If you plan to file a claim, contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. Each insurance company has its own claims process and provides a list of the information you need. You should be prepared to provide any documentation you have, including copies of police reports, photos and information about the other driver. Your insurance company will assign an adjuster to your case, who will evaluate any damages or injuries to determine how much the insurance company will pay to cover the claim.
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After you file your insurance claim, be prepared to pay your policy deductible. Some insurance companies require you to pay a deductible before any repairs are made or a claim is paid.
It’s important to know what to do after a car accident, but it’s also important to know what not to do.
Finally, don’t forget to check your car insurance premiums after your accident claim is settled. Your premiums may increase, but this is not guaranteed. If your premiums go up after an accident, you may want to compare coverage from other companies to see if you can get a better deal.
It requires authors to use primary sources to support their work. This includes white papers, government data, original reports and interviews with industry experts. Where appropriate, we also refer to original research from other reputable publishers. You can learn more about the standards we follow to produce accurate and unbiased content in our editorial policy. In 2018, serious traffic accidents caused more than 4.5 million injuries and nearly 40,000 deaths.
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Although motor vehicle safety has improved significantly throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, this is still a significant number.
If you have been in a serious car accident, there are a few things you should do immediately after the accident. Use our guide to learn what you can protect yourself and others from.
After a car accident, the worst thing you can do is flee the scene, especially if you were the driver and the cause of the accident.
If possible, use road flares, move vehicles off the road if possible, and stay away from the scene if there is a risk of fire or explosion. This is also a good time to check for injuries to you or your passengers and to assess the needs of others involved.
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In the event of a serious car accident, it is always necessary to call the police. They will further secure the scene, assess the damage, work with you to remove the vehicle and prepare an accident report.
You also can’t file an insurance claim for the accident without a police report, so this is a necessary step. If police suspect any driver to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can order a roadside sobriety test or obtain permission to conduct the test at a hospital.
This is important because if you file a lawsuit you will want the police to record that the driver or other drivers were affected.
You may not think you are injured, but keep in mind that your adrenaline may be high, which may mask any pain you may be experiencing as a result of the injury.
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You may have internal injuries or bleeding that you are not aware of. If left untreated, internal bleeding can lead to death, even if you feel fine.
Most car accident victims do not report their injuries until a day or two after the accident. Whiplash, back injury, headache, bruised or broken ribs are some of the most common and often delayed car accident injuries.
If you need immediate medical attention after an accident, go to your local emergency room. If it is a delayed injury, you will usually need to see a doctor who specializes in treating car accident injuries because most primary care physicians (PCPs) do not treat these injuries. Most PCPs only work with health insurance companies, not the auto insurance companies that typically pay for these injuries.
With the widespread use of camera phones, it is now easy to take photos of accident scenes and accident vehicles. Take as many photos as possible to document the scene, damage to the area, and the vehicles involved.
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Please take these photos as soon as possible after the accident, but be sure not to interfere with any ongoing police investigations.
You should also take photos of injuries, scrapes, bruises and other marks on you or your passengers.
You can do this before the police arrive, otherwise the police will usually handle it easily and include the entire incident in the incident report. It’s best to check it out in person, as you may have to wait a day or two for an incident report to arrive.
Use your camera phone to take a photo of their driver’s license and insurance card, then have them do the same for you. If there were witnesses to the accident, you should also get their contact information. If there is a lawsuit in the future, your attorney may want to contact them for depositions.
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You should notify your insurance company and file a claim as soon as possible. They will determine who was at fault and if it was the other driver or drivers, they will usually seek compensation from the insurance company.
If you need to see a doctor within a few days of the accident, your insurance company can also help you find a doctor who specializes in treating car accident injuries.
If the other driver was at fault for your accident, their insurance company may try to reach a settlement with you. Do not accept any solution they offer without speaking with an attorney.
They are looking for their own profit, which means they want you to accept the lowest amount possible. This may be far less than the amount you deserve.
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An experienced car accident and personal injury attorney can negotiate on your behalf and advise you on a fair settlement. If the insurance company refuses to pay you adequate compensation, your case may be taken to court with your attorney representing you.
A serious car accident can be traumatic.
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