If you are involved in a car accident, you’ll want to make certain that you maximize your chances of getting any financial assistance you need. This starts right at the accident site. If you need an attorney to help you get financial help after a car accident, you should contact one as soon as possible, as there are limitations on how long of a time you have to file a lawsuit. Following the accident, however, make certain that you do follow these steps.
1: Information
You will want information on the driver who struck you. This information should include:
- Their full name
- Their address
- Their insurance company
- Their insurance policy number
- Their phone number
- Any other contact information they have
- Their license plate number
If you are in a situation where the other driver attempts to flee the scene of an accident, do not attempt to prevent them from doing so. Get their license plate number and report it to the police. If they are fleeing the scene, they may be wanted for something much worse than causing a car accident and you don’t want to be caught up in that.
2: Witnesses
If there are witnesses to the car crash, get contact information from them. If they resist giving you contact information, at least get a physical description that you can give the police when the officers show up. Again, don’t attempt to press too hard to get contact information from witnesses. Most people, however, will be glad to give you their contact information if they witnessed a car accident.
3: Call Your Insurer
You should file a claim with your insurance company right away. It may take a while to get paid on one of these claims, but filing it faster is generally better. If your insurance company refuses to pay you for a valid claim, you may want to contact an attorney about that matter. An attorney can deal with an insurance company from a much more powerful position than one of their clients can.
Making sure that you do not get cheated out of any financial compensation you are owed following a car accident is largely a matter of getting the right information. If you have contact information for the person who caused the accident, and if they are an honest person, you shouldn’t have trouble getting compensated. If you do, contact an attorney as soon as possible.
