These are what to Do Checklist after Car accident
Vehicle Accident is an unforseen circumstance that one would not want to expect but yet, one needs to prepare for it. No matter how regulated the road usage of any country, accident is just inevitable.
Since it’s characterized by emergencies, it’s good to know the decisions and actions to take before, during and after car accident.
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Minor Accident? What to do
If you’re involved in a collision, possibly a minor car accident with no damage, you may or may not involve the police especially if you think the driver is not at fault and not reckless in his/her driving and no one is injured in your car.
However, depending on the country, policemen are likely going to get to the scene before you expect and take charge of the situation.
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Major Accident? What to do
If you’re in a car accident and people get injured, what you should do is to stop and get out of the car immediately, bring out your car emergency kits to notify other drivers coming behind to avoid further hit, call the ambulance and police to get to clinic and doctors near you.
Don’t ever make an attempt to run, this is punishable in most countries and it’s inhuman to do that.
Call a tow truck company’s emergency line or police will do that to move any obstructing if you can not clear the road immediately for other vehicles to have free movement.
Take photo shot of the cars and accident victims on the spot, take records of the cars affected and accident victims, including witnesses. Data such as name, address, phone etc are usually collected.
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If you’re involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you can still take the responsibilities mentioned as life is more important than anything else here.
Note that in most US states, there are variables to determine whether it would appear in your state driving record or not.
For example in California and Texas, it may not appear on your record if the police reports that you’re not at fault but if there are much damages or/and death is recorded, the accident could stay on your your driving record for not less than two years and possibly up to five years and your insurance is likely going to go up but how much your premium will go up depends on many factors that we’d like to discuss later.
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Should you hit a car and run away, leaving the scene of the accident, lawsuit can be filed against as you’re not expected to leave the location of damage.
If eventually you’re sued, the next thing of course is to call your lawyer to plead on your behalf and when you’re on the spot and not at fault, don’t wait too long as you’re required to file the accident report within days, submit it to your insurer and start talking to claim adjuster simcenit can take them several weeks before they have to contact you.
Normally, when someone hit your car, either moving or parked car and you’re thinking whose insurance you should call.
You don’t have to call the driver who collide with your car if he drives away and it’s not legal to call his insurance company, you should rather call your insurer, knowing fully well that it isn’t your fault and try as much as possible to get police involved and get their report. Your insurer will take charge from there and settle your claim.
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Car Damage Cost Responsibilities
If he stays, he should call his insurer immediately and should be responsible for auto valuer you both decide to employ to value the cost of the damage if the accident is so serious.
In the case of a total damage in which the vehicle cannot be repaired due to the severity of the damage, you’ll receive the money for the replacement of an equivalent vehicle.
In the case of an economic total damage in which the cost of the repair exceeds the fair value of the vehicle before the accident, you can settle the repair costs up to 130% of the fair value.
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You shall be entitled to an equivalent replacement vehicle for the duration of the repair or procurement of a new vehicle.
If you waive a vehicle replacement, surely, you’re entitled to compensation for loss of use, the amount of which is based on the respective vehicle type. Here too, the car valuer can make observations in his opinion. Depending on the size, age and equipment of the damaged vehicle.
Rental Car Accident?
If it’s a rental car, you’ll be liable to pay the cost of repair only if you’re at fault but if it’s the other driver, he’d be responsible for the damages or his insurance company would have to pay for it.
The ugly part is that, it can take as much as two, three or even more weeks to get a rental car after an accident.
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While this information can only serve an educational purpose, you’re advised to speak with your personal injury attorney to know who’s responsible for cost since the laws are not the same in every country, you need to understand what the law says in your state as regards responsibility after am accident.
After A Car Accident! Health Decision to Make
Now to your health, there are some medical steps to take after a car accident since there are late appearing car accident injuries.
You don’t have to wait for those common car accident injuries symptoms like soreness, dizziness, headaches, stomachache head or shoulder stiffness before you go to hospital.
It’s not only when you have Fractures, lacerations, dislocation or generally open wounds, sometimes, you can sustain internal injury and still feel like nothing has happened to you after the accident.
Contact your doctor to run check on you, perform some tests to be sure you’ve not injured your internal organs and if you suffer from whiplash injury, lower back injury, hip pain stomach pain, nausea several days after the auto crash, they could be sign of health problems, relay everything to your doc and you’d be fine in due time.
