Berwyn Car Accident Lawyers Tell You What To Do If You Are In A Car Accident.

In A Car Accident? Berwyn Car Accident Lawyers Tell You What to Do.

When you are involved in a car accident in Berwyn, it is always a traumatic event. This is true no matter how serious or minor it is, whether your fault or the other driver’s and if there are any injured parties, including yourself.

Regardless of what you are told beforehand, the resulting trauma could cause you to forget the correct process altogether. The consequences could be long-lasting for you and could be to your detriment.

After the Accident

At the scene of an accident, there are things that you are required to do according to the law, provided you are capable of doing so. First is to ascertain if there are any injuries, then call for emergency services. You have complied with the law and can then start dealing with your situation. The following aspects will aid you in whatever transpires after the accident. Try to cover as many of these as possible. 

Some insurance companies or law firms even have a checklist to help you focus when you are in a state of shock. If not, it is a good idea to create one and keep it in your vehicle at all times.

What You Should Do

Gather information from witnesses.

Try to obtain names, contact details, and statements of anyone that witnessed the accident. The more witnesses you can get, the better.

Take photos of the accident scene.

Next, you should take photos of the accident scene. These photos include showing the final position of all the vehicles involved relative to each other. These should also show the damage to all vehicles. This means including your own tire marks, the road and weather conditions, and any other evidence you think is relevant. 

Take photos of what looks like previous accident damage. This is in case other parties try to pin that on you. Taking a video would also be a good idea. If you are unable to do this, try to get friends or family to help.

Note any possible contributing factors to the accident.

These include factors such as worn tires, broken tail, and indicator lights (not resulting from the accident), and photograph them. Any erratic driving that you noticed shortly before the accident should be reported to the police. This is to allow them to investigate a possible driving under the influence situation. Just be sure of what you thought you saw.

Get the other drivers’ information.

Ensure that you jot down their driver’s license, insurance, address, make and model of vehicle, and license plate number. Try to be calm and not panic while doing this. 

You need to get the best documentation you can for the case. Running around in a blind panic only makes you look guilty.

Get to the nearest hospital for a check-up as soon as possible.

You should do this even if you think you are fine. The extent of your injuries (if any) will then be on record and difficult to refute.

Contact a lawyer.

Contact Berwyn car accident lawyers as soon as possible after your checkup to decide on the next step. Do this first before going to your insurance to avoid jeopardizing your claim before you have even submitted it.

Most lawyer firms provide a free consultation with you to discuss if you even need a lawyer. You can do this over the phone, via video call, or at the lawyer’s offices. 

Contact your insurance company.

This is to inform them of the accident and provide the information they require. Take care filling in any forms, and do not leave anything out. Remember you only have ten days to report your accident to the Department of Transportation and two years to bring an injury claim forward.

What You Shouldn’t Do

Never admit that it was your fault, even if it was.

A sympathetic “sorry” to someone else’s minor injury could be mistaken for an admission of liability for the entire incident.

If it was the other driver’s fault, do not scold them.

Berating that person will not be in your best interest either. The less you say to anyone, the better. Just gather all the relevant information you require and nothing else.

Don’t leave the scene of the accident.

You are not allowed to leave the accident scene unless it is in the back of an ambulance or with permission from authorities. If the accident position poses a further danger, move to a safer location nearby, where the police can find you easily if needed.

Do not skip going for a check-up. 

Some symptoms might only appear days or weeks after the accident. If you go later and then institute an injury claim against the other party’s insurance, then they could very likely claim that you were uninjured at the time.

Do not claim medical bills from your auto insurance. 

Doing so might result in you not receiving any compensation for the accident. 

Things to Remember about Auto Insurance Companies

• They are there to make money, not payouts.
• They will therefore try to pay the minimum they can if you let them.
• They have good lawyers to help them do this.
• If they can use the information you provided to not payout at all, they will.
• They take advantage of people who have not read or do not understand the fine print in their contracts.

Contacting Your Berwyn Car Accident Lawyers

At your free consultation, your Berwyn car accident attorney tells you how to do the following:

• Make a case strong enough to pursue.
• Minimize your part of the blame.
• Obtain the entire amount you are entitled to.
• File all necessary paperwork and documents on time.
• Make sure you receive adequate compensation for loss of wages.
• Ensure that even if you are partially to blame for the accident, you will still receive some compensation.

Final Thoughts

Passing blame to an automobile accident can be a complicated issue, especially if it involves several vehicles. It can be even more complex in a state where the law dictates a no-fault policy regarding vehicle accidents. Moreover, investigators will find it easier to blame you in their report rather than try to get to the underlying cause. 

That is why it is beneficial to have a lawyer telling you what you need to do to protect yourself because nobody else will. The process is far too complex to go it alone, especially if it involves personal injury.

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