One of the best ways to protect yourself in the event of a motor vehicle accident is to have an idea of the steps to take and how to act immediately after a crash. Given how disruptive and violent a crash might be, many people struggle to think logically as they deal with pain, stress or even an adrenal response.
Having a plan in place will make it easier for you to take the right steps to protect yourself and the people you love in the immediate aftermath of a car crash.
Take plenty of pictures of the scene
While at the scene of the collision, documenting the aftermath is of the utmost importance. It is possible that the other driver may try to imply that you were somehow at fault. If you have to move your vehicles in order to allow traffic to resume, that could make it harder for officers to know who was really the one to blame for what happened.
Taking pictures or even video of the crash scene before the vehicles get moved, as well as pictures of the damage to your car and of injuries that you and your passenger suffer will help substantiate your claim and prove your innocence.
Don’t talk to insurance adjusters
Insurance adjusters want to minimize how much they pay out on claims because approved claims cost their company money. Adjusters may try to get you to make statements that implicate you are responsible for the crash. Choosing not to talk to adjusters and not to give a recorded statement without your own legal representation may be in your best interests.
Get medical care, regardless of your insurance status
One of the biggest mistakes people make after a car crash is forgoing medical care because they feel like the injury isn’t severe enough to warrant it or because they worry about the cost.
Whether you don’t have insurance or have high patient responsibility costs for your medical coverage, it’s important to realize that it will likely be the car insurance of the other driver who caused the crash that covers your costs. If you inform people at the hospital or doctor’s office of the fact that the injury stems from a car crash, they will likely cooperate and treat you even if you can’t provide insurance information up front.