Road trips should be fun and a time to bond with family and friends. This is especially true after staying indoors for a long time during the pandemic.
When packing for a road trip, we all hope for a safe and fun trip to our destination and back home. It might cross your mind, but no one seriously entertains the thought of being in a road accident when out on a road trip. Unfortunately, another driver can hit you, and there you are, nursing injuries during what should be a good time.
Steps to Take After an Accident During a Road Trip
A website for injury attorneys, notes that knowing the proper steps to take after a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence is essential for all road users. It is okay to feel scared, but taking the right steps immediately after the car accident keeps you eligible for compensation.
Below are some of the things you should do after a car accident:
1. Seek Medical Care
It is important to look into your health and safety after a car accident. Ensure that you and the other people in the car are in a good place health-wise. If there is anyone in need of immediate medical care, call an ambulance or visit the nearest medical facility.
What’s more, even if you did not sustain lacerations in the accident, make sure to go for a doctor’s checkup. Numerous cases of road accident victims have later died from internal bleeding because they did not go in for a medical evaluation after a wreck. Also, keep a record of your doctor’s reports and receipts to prove the injuries suffered.
2. Call the Police
The law requires that all road accidents on public roads be reported to the police. Therefore, you cannot leave the scene before the police make their report. If you are planning to file a car accident injury claim, make sure that the police record the exact happenings of the accident on their report.
If the police report says otherwise, it will be hard to prove that you suffered injuries from another driver’s negligence.
3. Preserve Evidence
Just like with any other court case, you need evidence to win against the defendant, the driver at fault. Accidents are traumatic, and remembering the exact sequence of events that lead to the accident is challenging and sometimes impossible.
However, this information is crucial to winning an injury claim. Therefore, take many pictures of the accident scene if you can. If there were eyewitnesses, ask for their contact info because their testimony means a lot to your case. The point is, gather and preserve as much evidence as you immediately can after the accident.
4. Inform the Insurance Company
It is important to inform your car insurance about the accident even if you are not at fault. Give them the case details and collected evidence just in case the defendant decides to file a claim against you.
5. Be Ready for the Accident’s Aftermath
Depending on the damages to you and your car, you need to decide whether to head home or continue with your road trip. If the car is badly damaged or you have major injuries, you will have to stay in your location for a day or two as you recover.
On the other hand, if your car only got a scratch and no one is injured, you can continue your road trip.
Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
If you decide to file a car accident claim against the other party, get the help of an attorney. Car accident lawyers have the training and experience to file strong claims and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.