Coping With An Accident That’s Not Your Fault

Accidents may occur anytime, anywhere. Actually, nobody knows when they may be involved in a crash and where. However, what’s important is to be equipped with the knowledge of what to do in case you’re involved in an accident. This is especially if you were not at fault.

Remember that the driver at fault may flee anytime to avoid problems, but having information on how to cope with the situation can be helpful.

Therefore, follow these guidelines to help you manage the condition if you meet an accident, and it wasn’t your fault.

1. Inform the authority

The biggest mistake that many motorists make when involved in an accident is trying to solve the situations alone without informing the right people. In most cases, this doesn’t end well, as the driver at fault might flee before the police assess the accident. Therefore, in case of a crash, try to remain calm for some minutes, and then call the police.

Remember that the police will scrutinize the scene of the accident, and with the information they gather from eyewitnesses, they come up with a report which can help in solving the situation. Note that even the insurance company will require that police report when verifying facts about that wreckage. Therefore, to avoid more headaches during the investigation period by the insurance company, inform the police.

2. Seek medical attention if injured

Some drivers get confused when involved in an accident even though they aren’t at fault. For this reason, they don’t remember to seek medical help no matter how much they are injured. This is dead wrong. Therefore, as said earlier, one should always remember to remain calm, check whether he/she is hurt, and check other passengers and pedestrians, if any, to see whether they are wounded.

In case you can help them get medical attention, then don’t hesitate to do that. Even though the law doesn’t allow anyone to move an injured person, you can help them if it’s absolutely essential for their safety.

3. Gather crucial information

When you’re not at fault in an accident, always remember that the other driver should be the one to report the accident to his/her insurance company. But do you think many motorists can do that?

It’s, therefore, necessary to inform the other motorist’s insurance company about the accident. However, you can’t do that without the correct information which includes;

• Other motorist’s contacts
• His/her insurer’s name
• Statements from eyewitnesses and their addresses
• Pictures of the scene

Even though some people ignore gathering this kind of information, you must always remember that it’s vital when it comes to settling damages. The article “What Happens If You Are In A Car Accident And The Other Driver Doesn’t Have Car Insurance?” from Preszler Law Nova Scotia explains that it is important to get witness statements after an accident to ensure your damages are covered.

4. Notify other driver’s insurance company

Now that you have other party’s contacts and insurance name, you need to contact them and explain everything that happened. Assuming that the other motorist will inform them is wrong, as this might never happen.

Therefore, if that company has a mobile app, you can even send them all the information, including the photographs of the scene, as well as the picture of the license plate of the motorist at fault.

However, sometimes you may find out that the other party doesn’t have an insurance cover for his car. Nevertheless, don’t tense as the solution is simple, especially if your insurance policy is valid. Remember that some insurance policies provide protection if you’re involved in an accident, and the driver who is at fault doesn’t have an insurance policy. This takes us to the next point.

5. Notify your insurance company

Some people assume that it’s unnecessary to inform their insurance companies, especially if not at fault. But this is wrong. Remember that you may want to use some of the coverages in your policy.

• What’s more, the other party might not have car insurance or his insurer might refuse to take responsibility, and in this case, you can only be sorted out by your insurance company. But what if you don’t notify them?

Therefore, it’s advisable to contact them even though you know that it wasn’t your fault.

6. Hire an attorney

During the whole process of filing claims and attending trials, you might need someone to relieve you the headaches of answering different legal questions, especially from the insurance company. Therefore, it’s advisable to hire an expert in car accidents who can help speed up the whole process, as well as advice on the best legal options.

Getting into an accident is nothing you can avoid as a motorist. Even though you try too hard to be careful, another driver can crash your car unexpectedly. For this reason, you must always be well versed with the steps that one take to cope up with the situation.

What you must always remember is to keep calm, seek medical attention if you’re injured, help those who need emergency treatment, call the police, and contact both your insurer and the other party’s insurance company.

What’s more, don’t forget to hire an experienced vehicle accident lawyer to help in the case.

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