What to Do After a Car Accident That’s Not Your Fault
Have you been injured in a car accident recently? Click here to learn what to do after a car accident that's not your fault.
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Did you know that there are around 6 million car accidents in the United States every year? If you have recently been injured in a car accident and are not sure what to do after a car accident that's not your fault, we are here to help.
Keep reading to learn everything that you need to do to ensure you are not forced to pay for something that was not your fault.
Look for Injuries
The first thing to do after a car accident is to check to see if anyone suffered any injuries. If someone was injured call 911 immediately to have anyone injured be seen immediately by a car accident doctor at the hospital.
If no injuries are found you still want to call the police to file a report of what happened. This police report will come in handy when you are dealing with insurance companies down the line. In some states by law, you always have to call the police to come out to the scene.
Move
If you are not in a safe area try to move to the side of the road or onto a sidewalk for safety reasons. If you are able to drive your car and it is causing a hazard where the accident happened, move it to the side of the road.
If you are not able to move it just leave it where it is and get yourself to safety to avoid any other accidents.
Exchange Information
Next, you will want to exchange contact information with the other driver. You will need things like their insurance company and their policy number, their full name and contact information, their driver's license number, their plate number, and the make and model of their car.
While you are exchanging information, do not get into a conversation about the accident. Do not ever admit you are at fault either because this is what the adjuster that reviews your claim will determine.
Document, Document, Document
If this accident is for sure not your fault make sure to document absolutely everything you can while you are waiting for the police to come to file a report. Take pictures at the scene of the accident. Make sure you take a variety of pictures from different angles.
If possible take video as well to have proof of the entire scene. Do not forget to also take pictures of the license plates. All of these pictures and videos you might be able to share with your insurance company while you are filing your claim.
If there are any witnesses around, write down their names and their contact information. If possible have them give you a witness statement there at the scene while it is fresh on their mind.
Once the officer shows up document their name and their badge number and do not forget to ask them for a copy of the police report that they write up.
Call Your Insurance
Next in line is to contact your insurance and the other driver's insurance company. Preferably call the insurance companies while you are there at the scene of the accident. Calling while you are at the scene might expedite the claims process because they can tell you exactly what they need from you.
If everything goes as planned, the other driver will contact their insurance company and tell them the truth about what happened. This will expedite the whole process and the other driver's insurer will write you a check for the amount to fix the damage.
Suing
Typically the other driver's insurer will take care of the damages and you won't have to worry about legal action. If for some reason they take the side of their policyholder and deny you any coverage then you will want to take legal action. This is why filing a police report is almost always necessary, you never know when you will have to deal with this kind of situation.
If you are denied coverage then you can contact your insurance company and tell them what happened with the other insurer. They might cover the damage for you, try to reach a settlement to help all the parties involved, or they might sue the other company for denying you of your rights.
You also have the option to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit yourself if worst comes to worst. This is a smart move if there is enough evidence to make a solid case. Make sure that you figure out whether or not it will cost you more money in legal fees before you move forward.
Attorney
When you get home you might want to look around for an accident attorney just in case. You can also call them up with any questions you might have about your legal options. An attorney will know the best course of action for you to take if the other driver's insurance company is accusing you of being the one at fault for the accident.
Now You Know What to Do After a Car Accident That's Not Your Fault
Now that you know what to do after a car accident that's not your fault you are prepared for a car accident emergency in the future. The main thing is to stay calm in order to not miss any important step such as getting a copy of the police report.
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