How To Handle Being In A Car Accident
Car accidents happen. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were over 5.6 million car crashes reported in 2013; so the likelihood of you being in some sort of car accident over time is actually quite high. There are some things you should keep in mind if you find yourself in an accident to keep from making matters worse (at least legally). Here is how you should react when someone hits you and your car.
Remain Calm
Remember, the odds are in favor of you being in a car accident during your lifetime. One of the worst things you can do in this situation is to lose your temper and act out against the driver of the other vehicle. You need to keep a level head and respond calmly to the situation. Your first concern should be the health and welfare of all the participants in the accident, including yourself, and to make sure that people who are injured are kept safe until emergency crews arrive.
Call 911
You should notify the police even if there aren't any injuries. The police will come to document the accident by taking witness statements and analyzing the crash scene to determine blame (this is especially true in crashes with serious injuries or deaths. This information could prove invaluable to you in a court of law if you intend to sue the person who hit you or when trying to overturn an unsatisfactory finding by the other driver's insurance company that is trying to discredit your insurance claim.
Stay Where You Are
Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime in most areas. All of a sudden you could be going from being a victim in a car crash to a criminal for leaving the scene (and if there are any injuries or deaths involved, a judge might not look too kindly on your indiscretion). Call for help and wait – you never know who's watching!
Have Valid Insurance Cards
You will need to produce a valid insurance card when you are involved in an accident. Back in the old days, if you forgot to have your card on your or in the vehicle, a judge would probably accept your proof of insurance in a court of law. Nowadays, though, not having a card on you is a chargeable offense in many municipalities that could end up costing you hundreds of dollars in fines.
Remember, thousands of car accidents happen every day in this country. If you think about how you are going to react ahead of time if you get into one, the better able you will be to properly respond to the situation without making things worse for yourself. If you're in need of a car accident lawyer for your case, visit http://www.davidharrislaw.com.