What to Do After a Car Accident That's Not Your Fault

Don't assume that everyone who drives is an irresponsible person. There could be any number of reasons why someone might be driving erratically. Your first step should be to call 911 and report the incident. Then try to calm yourself down and get your thoughts together before calling the police. Car accidents are always unpleasant, but there are ways to make them less so. You should know what to do if you're involved in an accident.

You should check on all drivers and passengers involved in the accident. You should also make sure you move the vehicles off the road. Don't move an injured person until it's absolutely necessary for his/her safety. Gather information about the other driver. Make sure the other driver knows what happened. Don't leave the scene of an accident unless you're certain that the other driver will report the incident.

Witnesses should provide their contact information as well as photographs of the accident. All parties involved should be photographed. Call the police if any party was injured or property damaged.

Don't trust the other drivers. Report accidents yourself. Collect the following information about the drivers involved: Driver's name, address, and driver's license number. Insurance company and policy number. Witnesses should be identified by name, address, and phone number. Photos of the accident scene should be taken. Statements regarding the incident should be written down.

You can use the police report to prove who was driving the car. You can also use this information to get more money out of the driver.

You should write down the important information about your car crash accident. This will help you remember what happened and make sure you get medical attention if needed.

After an accident, call your insurer right away. Most accidents occur within a few minutes. You might not know the full story about what happened. You could also be partly responsible for the accident. Your insurer's policy might not cover the treatment of injured people or the damage to the car. If the other driver doesn't pay for the damage caused by the crash, you'll need your insurance company to fight back against the claim. If you're involved in an accident, make sure you get the name and address of the other party's insurer.

You should call your insurer as soon as possible after the accident, even if the other party doesn't seem to be seriously injured or if it seems that the damage was caused by something else. Tell them about the accident, including any injuries or damages. Don't lie to your insurer. Also, don't try to negotiate anything with him before he tells you how much you owe.

Try to stay calm when dealing with accidents. Check yourself first before getting help for others. Place calls to emergency medical centers to attend to injured victims. Avoid moving any cars until the accident is over.

When you're injured, your first priority should be to get yourself checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. You could have a broken bone, internal bleeding, or other serious injuries which need immediate treatment. Common car accident injuries include whiplash, back spasms, neck pain, bruises, cuts, sprains, strains, broken bones, and concussions. These injuries can be treated by a doctor. When filing an insurance claim or taking legal action against the at-fault driver, the insurance company will aggressively try to attack the claim. Medical documentation of your injury serves as valuable evidence for the insurance company and the court. Your records also provide leverage for negotiating a better settlement or asking for more damages in a suit. When an accident wasn't your fault, it isn't right that you should be out-of-pocket due to lost wages, medical expenses, or pain and suffering.

Witnesses should be interviewed as soon as possible after the accident. Otherwise, they might forget what they saw or be influenced by other information. We need to know if someone was injured and when the accident happened.

You will need to gather some information about the other driver before leaving the scene of an accident. Make sure you have the following items when contacting the other driver s insurance company: The other driver's name and contact information, the names and contact information of passengers in the other driver's car, the other driver's car insurance company and policy number, the make, model and color, if known, of the other driver's car. Witnesses of the accident also may be helpful. The responding police officer's name, contact information, and license plate number. Speak only to the other driver about what happened. Write down as much information as possible about the accident. Draw a rough map showing the directions each vehicle was traveling before the crash. Note the weather conditions at the scene. Photograph both vehicles.

Make sure you call the other driver's auto insurance company before contacting the police. You need to know if there were any injuries, what kind of damages occurred, and whether or not the other driver was insured by an appropriate insurance provider. Get statements from eyewitnesses and take photographs of the accident scene. Also, take pictures of both vehicles involved. All of the evidence gathered at this scene should be documented and exchanged by both parties. Your car insurance company also has a mobile app that helps you document the accident while you're still there. There are many ways to get information about the accident, including using a smartphone.

Drivers need to be careful when gathering information about accidents. There could be legal repercussions for speaking out of turn. Keep your emotions in check while talking to witnesses. Don't discuss the details of the accident.

If you want to sue the at-fault party's insurance company, you'll need a lawyer in Harris County, Galveston County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Brazoria County, Houston, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Stafford, Texas at Thornton Esquire Law Group, PLLC, and help you understand the ins and outs of insurance law. You must contact an attorney if you are injured in an auto accident. An attorney may be able to help you recover damages from the other party. Contact us today at www.thorntonesquirelawgroup.com for a free consultation.