If you or a loved one has had an auto accident, it can be scary and overwhelming. This is especially true if you don’t know what to do next. Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect yourself financially after an auto accident. Here is a list of 6 important things to do immediately after an auto accident.
1. Call 911
If you are in a car accident, it is important to call 911 immediately. When you call 911, emergency personnel will be dispatched, and they will help you and those involved in the accident. Even if the accident wasn’t your fault, you might need assistance from emergency personnel to ensure that everyone is safe.
If the accident resulted in injuries, you could use their services to help victims and be transported to a nearby hospital if necessary. Depending on your location, you may need to wait until emergency vehicles arrive before beginning first aid.
If you can’t wait to do first aid because someone is suffering, then it’s perfectly fine to begin first aid and continue while waiting for emergency vehicles to arrive. When in doubt, always call 911 and let them decide if the person needs professional medical attention.
Move Injured in Car to Safer Location if there is a chance of more accidents occurring, move all injured parties to a safer location that is clear of traffic and debris.
2. Take Photos
If you are hit by a car while driving, walking, bike riding, jogging, etc., it is important to take photos of the scene, the car that hit you, your injuries, and anything else that might be important. After the police come and look over the scene, call 911 for an ambulance to have you checked out.
When safe, always take photographs at the time of an accident, no matter how minor the damage. Photographs may be helpful in dealing with your insurance company or other authorities that handle claims.
3. Call Your Insurance company
After calling 911, you need to contact your own auto insurance company. It’s important to call them before you talk to anyone else. Why? Because no matter who caused an accident, your insurance company is responsible for covering your costs.
That can include medical expenses, lost wages, traffic citations, and even damage to your car or the other driver’s car. In some cases, it can include pain and suffering if the accident was especially traumatic.
Whenever someone gets into a serious accident, they should call their insurance company before talking to any other parties involved in the crash (except for first responders). By contacting their insurance company first, they make sure that their insurer has all of the information needed to begin processing claims for compensation and benefits.
4. Contact Your Health Insurance Company
The reason you need your health insurance company right away is because of hospital bills. If there is an accident that causes injuries or death, the hospital where you are going will bill your insurance company directly. So often, people do not realize they should carry health insurance until they are in a situation where they need it.
It is important to know that having health insurance does not mean that your hospital bill will be free or even super cheap. Having health insurance will save you money on your hospital bills because if you do not have health insurance and go to a hospital, the hospital can charge whatever it wants for service, and then you have no choice but to pay it.
Once you get to the hospital after a car accident, your medical bills will be more expensive than if you had come earlier to seek treatment. Though some hospitals may help cover costs when people do not have health insurance, many hospitals require payment before any treatment begins.
5. Get a Copy of the Report
After a car accident, you should call the police to file a report, a witness to record the accident, and your insurance company. It is important to do these things right away so that you can begin getting financial compensation for your losses.
The police report will be used to determine the fault in the accident, which may influence your insurance claim. If the other driver is at fault and uninsured, this will help you get compensation from his or her insurance company.
You can also look up accident reports in Georgia or your specific state to get a copy of your own accident report. Getting a copy can be useful even if you think that no one else was involved in the accident. It’s possible that another driver was involved but left before the police arrived. Getting a copy of your accident report can also help you with your own insurance claim if there are injuries or significant property damage.
6. Get in Touch with an Attorney
Contacting an attorney is important because they will help make sure that you get a fair settlement for your injuries. They will also help you obtain the medical care that you need and support you with other legal matters like working with your insurance company and filing lawsuits if needed. After an auto accident, it is incredibly important to contact an attorney as soon as possible so that they can begin helping you file insurance claims and lawsuits.
Conclusion
After a car accident, it is important to know what steps to take for your own protection. Car accidents are stressful, and the situation can be very confusing in the immediate aftermath. But if you take the time to do these six things after an accident, you’ll be better prepared to move forward with your life.