Getting into a car accident can be scary, especially when you’re with your kids. But knowing the car safety measures to take in a situation like this can help to put your nerves at ease. Read on to see four things you should do after you’ve been in a car accident. If you find yourself in such a situation in Portsmouth, experts like the portsmouth auto accident attorneys can provide valuable guidance and support during this challenging time.
Check for Injuries
It’s important to go to the doctor or ER after a car accident even if both you and your kids seem fine at the time. This is because not all injuries people suffer are immediately visible on the spot. Some, like concussions, may take a while to start showing any symptoms. Make sure that there’s nothing wrong by visiting a hospital right away and explaining to your doctor what happened so they know the tests to perform. Out of 144.8 million visits in total to the ER in 2017, about 20% of them involved an injury. This fact should show you that there are a number of situations in which people may need medical attention like physical or orthopedic services, even if they don’t know it right away.
Collect Evidence
After getting in an accident, there’s, unfortunately, going to be a lot of paperwork to deal with. To make sure that you stay on top of it, collect everything you need as soon as you can. If any authority asks for paperwork, it will be hassle-free to get it from a collection you have already gathered than to have to source it from scratch. This evidence includes photos of the accident, written statements from witnesses, insurance information from the other driver, and even notes that you take detailing times and specifics which you may forget as time passes. Being prepared will save you a lot of time up ahead, so do this while at the scene of the accident, as long as there are no serious injuries you need to go to the ER immediately for.
Take Your Vehicle to the Mechanic
To make sure that you don’t have car trouble waiting for you down the road, take your car to your mechanic at your earliest possible convenience. File a report immediately with your insurance company so you can find out what repairs will be covered and you can start planning for the rest. Note that cracks that are 1/8″ or wider are a cause for concern and need to be checked out immediately. Doing this will help you keep your car in good condition for a long time, and you will be sure that there are no ticking time bombs waiting to affect your car safety standards.
File a Personal Injury Claim
The third important thing you need to do after you’re involved in a car accident is to file a personal injury claim with the help of your car accident lawyer. Doing this is important because it can help you recover some damages for your injuries, even if you were partly in the wrong. To be able to successfully do this, take pictures of the accident scene of both the car and any visible injuries you’ve suffered, documentation from witnesses if any were present, and written reports from the accident if the police were present and wrote reports, find out more on Claim Your Justice’s website.
In the United States, more than 94% of the over 2.6 million miles of paved roads are surfaced with asphalt. A personal injury claim through a car accident injury attorney will also enable you to take time off from work without a lot of complications and back and forth about the exact reasons. In addition, accident victims may also hire a process server. The critical role of process servers in justice and in personal injury claims is to ensure that the claims documents are promptly delivered.
When you’re in an accident it’s normal to be a bit shaken up afterward, especially if you have taken car safety measures. Get in contact with a houston accident lawyer, follow the tips above to make sure that the process after your accident is straightforward and easy to finalize, and you will have more time to spend on recovery.
