Did you know that there are approximately six million car accidents each year in the United States? You can break that number down further and calculate that it is more than 16,000 accidents every day. These accidents can result in death, but even more frequent are the damages and personal injuries that occur. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, the first and immediate priority will be the health and well-being of you, your passengers and any others involved. Once that has been addressed, the police are called, and you start to think more clearly, it’s time to consider how you can file a claim.
Here are the basic steps on how to make a claim following a car accident.
Call the Police to the Scene
Before you can even get to the part where you make a claim, it’s important to call the police to the scene of the crash. It doesn’t matter who was at fault or how minor or major the damage is; you want to be sure you call the police so that an official report can be written up. If possible, snap as many photos of the accident scene as you can with your smartphone. Be sure to focus on any areas of damage. Take photos of your injuries too, no matter how minor they may be.
Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
This is also the time you want to start looking around for an experienced car accident lawyer who will represent you and your interests. You can check out options like these Allentown car accident lawyers at Munley Law. Keep in mind that whoever you hire should be in the state where the accident took place – so they understand the process and procedure, have experience specifically with car accidents, can answer any questions and concerns you have and can outline in detail the approach they will take to making your claim.
Report the Accident to Your Insurance Provider
The next step in the process will be to report the accident to your car insurance company or your broker. They need to know that the accident took place, when, where, who was involved, the damages, and so forth. If you called the police to the accident scene, which is always advisable, then there will be a full police report which can be extremely useful.
Write Down All the Details While They Are Fresh
It’s also wise to write down all details about the car accident while it is fresh in your head. You never know which of these details may end up being significant in the future. Your account will also help to shed more light on the police report.
This first-hand account should be written/typed out and shared with your lawyer so they can use it as they build your claim. Attach any photos you took with your smartphone to your first-hand account.
Sit Back and Let Your Lawyer Do the Work
The great part is that, after you follow these initial steps, the rest of the claims process will be in the hands of your lawyer. You can now sit back and focus on fixing your vehicle and recovering from any injuries sustained.
