Road accidents are, unfortunately, relatively common. Many people who are hurt in car accidents while traveling abroad are confused about what to do next. They may be unsure how to make a claim or not understand which laws apply. While it is always easier to go along with the insurance company’s decision, this will not get you all the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
If you are injured in a car accident while traveling, there are a few things you can do to help your claim. First of all, make sure that you get medical treatment for your injuries. It would help if you also considered writing down what happened as soon as possible after the crash. This will help support your case and show that it wasn’t your fault or defective equipment was at fault. Here are six other things to do if you’ve been involved in a road accident as a traveler:
1) Talk To a Lawyer and Get the Legal Help You Need
While you may think that you can’t afford to pay a lawyer, it is illegal for lawyers to refuse your case just because of a lack of funds. If you have been injured, this is an excellent time to consider talking to a truck accident attorney in Cumming, who will be able to help you throughout all stages of your claim – from filing insurance forms and lawsuits if necessary. In any event, after your accident, the first thing you should do is talk to a qualified car accident injury lawyer to find out what options are open to you and how best they can be pursued.
2) Make Sure the Accident Is Reported to the Police
Soon after your accident, you should contact local police and tell them what happened. They will be able to make out an incident report and give you a reference number for it. You can use this reference number later when filing insurance claims or making an official claim against the other person’s insurance company. Do not let anyone drive away from the accident scene, and don’t assume that because there were no injuries, even severe ones, it won’t matter if no one reports it to the police.
3) Try and Find Witnesses To The Crash
While police will try and find witnesses after an accident, they may not always succeed. Therefore, for your peace of mind, it is a good idea to ask around the area where your car crashed to see if anyone saw what happened or might at least be willing to speak out about how dangerous the other party’s driving was. If you know of anyone who was hurt in the crash, then it is essential that they also get their legal representation.
4) Get a Copy of The Police Report And See If any Witnesses Are Listed
Also, ask for a full copy of the police report to keep with your records so that you can refer to it later. It will be helpful if you need to file an insurance claim after your accident or if you consider making a civil lawsuit against the other party’s insurance company at some point in the future that claims negligence on their part. At the very least, this information may come in handy when working out what level of compensation would be appropriate given all your injuries and losses.
5) Try To Find Independent Witnesses
Even if you have a lot of evidence that the other driver caused the accident, this will probably not be enough to prove it in court. There must also be independent witnesses – people who saw what happened but were not involved in the accident themselves. The more independent witnesses there are, the better able your attorney will be to prove fault and liability on the other person’s part. This is important because if you are the only person that can verify that another driver was at fault, then your claim could be ignored.
6) Never Admit Fault Ever
Make sure not to admit liability for the accident; you can always apologize, but there’s no need to go any further than this without speaking to a lawyer first. If you say anything like “I’m sorry” or make apologies, this may give insurance companies an opening they will try to use against your claim. Remember, it is always better to speak with an attorney before making statements about who is at fault for the crash and what caused it. Even if both parties agree on exactly what happened in the accident, one of them could still later try and raise doubts about how fast each other was driving or other aspects of the accident.
If you have been injured in a car accident while traveling, then these are the first six things you should do immediately after it occurs. You may be eligible for compensation depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident. Do not admit fault to anyone, especially insurance companies.
Featured: Pixabay (VladArtist).
