5 Things to Do in the Event of a Motor Accident

While you may be a skilled driver with plenty of experience, you could still be involved in a motor accident – whether it’s your fault or someone else’s. It will no doubt be a stressful situation, but if you take note of certain things to do in the event of a motor accident, you’ll find yourself better able to handle it all.

1. Check if Anyone is Hurt

Firstly, you need to check if you or other individuals are hurt. If so, call 000 and tell them it’s a car accident, where it’s located and how many people are injured.

2. Get Legal Help if the Accident is Serious

Initially, don’t blame yourself publicly or admit liability for the accident. You should be truthful later on, but only after you’ve obtained legal assistance. This is strongly encouraged if the accident is a serious one where the damage is great and you’re injured. It’s a good idea to get help from those who specialise in handling personal injury claims like those at The Personal Injury Lawyers. The right professionals will do everything within means to win you compensation for pain and suffering, loss of wages, medical/rehabilitation costs, and care costs. They may also help you recover costs of smash repair (or market value if vehicle is a write-off), towing and damage to other property.

3. Contact Your Insurer

You’ll need to contact your insurer, as they will work with all parties in order to determine who’s responsible. If your vehicle needs to towed, they will arrange for that. They’ll also help you manage vehicle repairs. If you choose your own repairer, they’ll ensure you get a reasonable quote and that it’s safe.

4. Contact the Police

You need to report the accident to the police if anyone is injured or killed, or there’s damage to property or livestock (and the owner of said property is absent). Police officers may question all parties involved, and any witnesses, to establish fault and chain of events. This should help with your claim (unless you’re at fault, of course).

5. Collect Important Details

It’s vital you take note of important details should the police, insurer and lawyers need them. Record the date, time, location, plus weather and traffic conditions. Take down the other driver’s information as well. If there are witnesses, record their names and contact numbers. Draw a diagram of the vehicles/accident, marking the damage. Take photos of the scene for evidence. The more information you record, the better it will be for you when making a claim.

 
While it’s not the most pleasant topic to think about, it’s important you know what to do should you ever be in such an unfortunate predicament. If you find it reassuring, you might want to make a list of all the important steps to take after an accident and keep this in your car, just in case.

If you’ve had an experience with a motor accident and have valuable advice to share, please don’t hesitate to post in the comments below.