What to Do After a Car Accident: Your Essential Guide
Being in a car accident can be a scary and stressful experience. Even minor fender benders can leave you feeling shaken up or even cause you to suffer from post-traumatic stress. However, if you've been in an accident, there are important steps you should take immediately that will help to protect yourself, comply with the law, and start the claims process. Here is a comprehensive guide on what to do after a car accident.
Key Actions to Take After an Accident
When you find yourself in a car accident, it can be difficult to know what to do in the moment. However, there are some key actions that should be taken to protect yourself, follow legal protocols, and set yourself up for proper insurance claims and compensation.
Remain at the Scene
After an accident occurs, it is important to remain at the scene, unless you need emergency medical care. Moving your vehicle to a safe location like the shoulder is allowed, but fleeing the scene is against the law. Remaining at the accident site provides the opportunity for those involved to exchange insurance information, get witness statements, take photos, assist injured parties, and give your account to police. Only leave once the officer says it’s okay or you are removed by ambulance. Fleeing an accident can result in fines or criminal charges. Staying demonstrates you want to comply with the law and do the right thing.
Call the Police
You’ll need to contact the police so they can file an official accident report. This report contains vital information for insurance and legal purposes. Make sure to get the badge number and contact information of the responding officer. If the accident is minor and your vehicle is drivable, move it off the roadway onto the shoulder or a safe nearby location. Turn on your hazard lights and place road flares or triangles behind your vehicle to alert other motorists.
If your car is immobile, stay inside with your seatbelt fastened until help arrives. Getting out of your vehicle on a busy roadway puts you in danger of getting struck by passing motorists. Have your insurance and vehicle registration info handy to provide to the officer completing the report. Cooperate fully, but don’t admit fault or make any statements about the accident to the officer.
Seek Medical Attention
Your health should be your number one concern after an accident. Adrenaline may mask pain and injuries, so even if you feel fine, get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries from car accidents can appear days later. It’s best to get examined and describe all your symptoms to a medical professional after the crash.
Many accident-related injuries such as whiplash, head trauma, back or neck pain, and cuts and bruises can benefit from prompt treatment. Seeing a doctor also provides documentation of your injuries should you need to file an insurance claim or lawsuit. Before leaving the scene, ask EMS to examine you even if you don’t think you need an ambulance ride to the hospital.
Exchange Information
You’ll need to swap insurance and contact details with the other driver(s) involved. This info is required for insurance claims and your accident report. Get their name, phone number, address, license plate, driver’s license number, and insurance provider and policy number.
If there are any passengers or witnesses, get their contact information too. Ask to see the other driver's proof of insurance by requesting their insurance card. If damage to the vehicles appears minor, it's recommended to take pictures of the damage and overall accident scene. Capturing images provides a visual record of what happened.
Notify Your Insurance Provider
Alert your car insurance company about the accident right away. Provide details about what happened, if there were any injuries, and if the police were called. Cooperate with your insurer’s investigation of the incident. Ask about your policy’s accident forgiveness protection and if they require you have your vehicle repaired at certain auto body shops.
Your insurer will likely send out an adjuster to inspect your vehicle damage and write up an estimate. Follow your claims adjuster’s instructions closely to receive compensation for repairs or have your car valued fairly. Save all accident-related paperwork and bills. Make sure you understand how the accident will impact your auto insurance rates before accepting a settlement.
Get Your Car Towed
If your car is severely damaged, you’ll need to arrange for it to be towed. Your insurance company can provide recommendations for reputable towing companies in your area. Ask the police or witnesses if they know of a good towing service to call. Avoid solicitors who randomly show up and try to pressure you into allowing them to tow your car for inflated fees.
Research a few companies and select a reasonably priced licensed towing operator to haul your damaged car to an auto repair shop, a used parts dealer, or your home. For an irreparable total loss, ask your insurer if they offer towing services to transport the vehicle to a salvage yard. Make sure to remove all your personal belongings from your car before your vehicle gets towed away.
Seek Legal Representation
Consider consulting an attorney after a serious accident with injuries or fatalities, large property damage costs, or disputes with insurance adjusters. An experienced lawyer can help you identify all parties that may share fault, handle negotiations with insurers, file claims and lawsuits on your behalf, and represent you in court if necessary. They also know how to properly value accident injury claims and get clients the maximum compensation they deserve.
Look for an attorney that specializes in auto accident cases and offers free consultations. Reputable lawyers don’t charge any upfront fees and will provide legal services on a contingency fee basis. This means the attorney only gets paid if they are successful in getting you a settlement. Hiring a lawyer soon after an accident provides them with time to start building your case while evidence is fresh.
Handle Car Repairs
To get your car fixed after an accident, you have a couple options. Take your vehicle to a body shop your insurance company has partnered with and has vetted to do competent work for fair prices. These direct repair facilities will work directly with your insurer on damage estimates and payments.
Alternatively, you can choose your own auto repair shop and negotiate prices on your own. This route may allow you to fix your car faster, but payment won’t be as straightforward. For extensive repairs, discuss a rental reimbursement from your insurer so you can get a loaner car while your vehicle is in the shop. Make sure to closely review repair estimates before approving work.
Deal With Your Injuries
Treat all accident-related injuries as recommended by medical professionals. Keep track of doctor visits, physical therapy appointments, medications, and medical equipment purchases. Save all receipts and request copies of your medical reports and bills. These records will help you claim injury compensation and document accident-related healthcare costs.
Be upfront with healthcare providers about how the accident happened and all your symptoms. Give your car insurance provider updates on your treatment status. This will help them handle your claim properly. Expect full recovery to take time. Don’t try to rush back to work or accept an early lowball settlement. Getting the money you deserve hinges on properly valuing the entire scope of your injuries.
Manage Accident Stress
Don’t underestimate the power of accident trauma and shock. Give yourself time and space to manage fears, anxiety, sleep troubles, anger, and depression. Talk to loved ones for support or see a mental health counselor. Join a car accident survivors support group. Practice self-care through rest, healthy eating, exercise, and doing activities you enjoy. Be patient with the ups and downs of the recovery process.
Replace Your Car Seat
After a collision, children’s car seats often need replacement. The forces involved can damage a seat in ways not visible to the eye. Since you can’t tell if the structure and safety protection of the seat has been compromised, err on the side of caution and buy a new one. Never purchase a used car seat or accept a hand-me-down seat from friends or family.
Check on Other People Involved
If the accident involved others and resulted in injuries, consider checking in on the victim(s) during their recovery. Offer sympathy and well wishes without admitting fault or placing blame. Follow up if you witness or hear of them experiencing depression or trauma after the crash. Showing you care can help ease their stress while also reducing any resentment or anger they associate with you.
Learn From the Experience
Take time to reflect on the accident and see if there are any lessons to be learned about your driving habits or skills. Were you distracted, drowsy, or driving recklessly? Would defensive driving techniques have avoided the crash? Use this as an opportunity to build your skills through advanced driving instruction. Getting to the root cause can help prevent similar accidents down the road.
How to Handle Specific Accident Situations
Certain types of accidents require additional actions beyond the basics covered above. Here are tips for handling these special accident situations.
Hit-and-run Collisions
If the other motorist drove off after the crash without identifying themselves, try to safely follow their car at a distance to get their license plate number and vehicle description. File a police report and supply any details about the fleeing driver and car that you observed. Contact witnesses for additional identifying information. Your own insurer will investigate and try to locate the at-fault driver.
Uninsured drivers who flee are committing a crime. Hopefully there is enough evidence for the police to locate the hit-and-run motorist. Your insurer also has options like uninsured motorist coverage to pay for your crash-related expenses.
Multi-vehicle Pileups
Major collisions involving several vehicles make accident response more complex. Prioritize your safety by quickly exiting your car and moving away from wreckage and oncoming traffic. Signal for help immediately and render aid to anyone who seems severely injured. Exchange contact and insurance details with people involved directly ahead of or behind you, as you may have impacted one another.
Stick around the scene until law enforcement arrives to provide a statement. The officer may just take contact info to follow up later when sorting out the messy situation. Expect a lengthy investigation and insurance claim process. Consult an attorney experienced with pileups to protect your rights in case multiple parties share blame.
Accidents in Bad Weather
Inclement weather like snow, fog, heavy rain, or ice often contributes to crash risk. If you skid off the road, make sure to activate flashers and set flares/triangles behind your vehicle. Stay inside and call for roadside assistance or a tow. Avoid walking along high-speed roads, since passing drivers may have difficulty stopping.
File an accident report but understand officers may not be able to respond until the weather clears. Similarly, snap photos, because coming back to the actual scene later to take pictures may not be possible. When speaking with your insurer, emphasize the hazardous conditions at the time of the accident. Doing so provides evidence that the weather, not you, caused the collision.
Accidents in Parking Lots
Don’t assume insurance won’t help just because a crash happens in a parking lot and not on the open road. Damage to your car and any injuries are still covered. Exchange information with the other driver and notify your insurer about the low-speed collision. Police don’t always respond to parking-lot fender benders, but you can file a report at their station later.
Liability depends on circumstances. A driver backing out of a spot typically holds more blame than someone driving down a lane properly. If the other party seems reluctant to share their info or report the accident, note witnesses who saw what happened. Camera footage from nearby businesses may help too.
Single-car Crashes
Colliding with a stationary object or leaving the road and hitting a tree or pole almost always means the driver shares fault for the accident. Unless you swerved to avoid another car or animal, the insurer will likely see this as a driver error accident. Expect your rates to rise. Don’t try to protect your driving record by obscuring crash details or claiming you “don’t know” what happened.
Be honest with your insurance adjuster about dozing off or looking at your phone so they have an accurate picture when deciding compensation. Cooperate fully with law enforcement responding to the scene and seek medical help even if you feel fine afterwards. Symptoms like headache or neck pain can arise later. Take photos of skid marks, debris fields, and the single-car damage for insurance negotiations.
Protect Your Rights After an Accident
Here are some additional tips to keep in mind after a collision to avoid getting taken advantage of:
Never accept an on-the-spot settlement offer at the scene from the other driver. There’s no need to rush before fully understanding your legal rights and losses.
Avoid sharing accident fault opinions or apologizing, since it could weaken your insurance claim and any injury lawsuit. Provide only the facts.
Don’t sign away your right to file a claim without speaking to an attorney first. Insurance providers may try to get recorded statements admitting responsibility.
Save all accident-related documents and evidence. Keep a journal of crash details, medical treatments, and phone calls with insurers or attorneys.
Dispute unfair insurer valuations of your vehicle damage or injury claim. Negotiate for replacement value and full medical compensation.
Consider hiring a professional appraiser to inspect and write a detailed valuation report if your car is totaled. Online calculators and insurance adjusters may undervalue the pre-accident worth.
The moments immediately after an accident can be overwhelming. By staying calm, following these steps, and consulting qualified legal and medical experts when necessary, you can protect yourself and effectively navigate the aftermath. Maintaining diligent records and staying on top of your insurance claim will help you resolve issues faster and receive fair compensation. With patience and perseverance, you’ll recover from the crash, get back on the road, and move forward.
Make Recovery Faster with Support from Meyers Glaros
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be complex and frustrating. For personalized guidance and professional legal help, contact our experienced team at Meyers Glaros. Our insurance experts offer compassionate support and will fully protect your rights to receive fair compensation for vehicle repairs, medical bills, lost wages, and other costs. The Meyers Glaros Group has a proven track record of delivering positive results for clients.
To get started with your claim or learn about your insurance options, reach out to us online or call us at 219.865.6447.