Being involved in a car accident is never a nice experience. Along with damage to your vehicle that could have the potential to take it off the road and the potential for injury, car accidents are often followed by a lengthy legal process that can be both overwhelming and frustrating for drivers. If you are involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you’ll want to get the maximum compensation when you make your claim. Here are some legal tips to keep in mind.
Get a Lawyer
Having an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer on your side as you go through the process of filing your car accident claim can make all the difference. Detroit MI Auto Accident lawyers can help you make sense of all the legal jargon that comes with dealing with insurance companies and provide valuable advice to help you make the right decisions throughout your case to swing it in your favor. Working with a car accident lawyer can make the process of filing a claim much less stressful and can help you avoid costly mistakes.
Be Careful What You Say
At the scene of the accident, it might come naturally to you to apologize to the other driver, even if you were not responsible for causing the collision. However, this could be taken as an admission of fault and might stand in the way of your claim in the future. Regardless of whether not you caused the accident, you should avoid saying anything at the scene that could be taken as you admitting liability.
Get Evidence
The more evidence you have of the scene, the better. Take photographs of your vehicle from all angles and make sure that you include all of the damage. Take any photographs of the road that are relevant including any areas that might have contributed to the accident. Speak to other road users to see if anybody has dashcam footage of the collision occurring that you might be able to use to support your insurance claim, and get names and contact details for any witnesses.
Get Medical Attention
Even if you feel fine immediately after the collision, bear in mind that these accidents can often put us in a state of shock and injured people might not start feeling pain until much later. Getting medical attention as soon as you can will help support a personal injury claim that you might want to make in the future. Even if you have only sustained minor injuries like whiplash, you should see a doctor and get it on your medical record.
File a Police Report
Even if the accident was only minor, it’s important to contact the police and report it. This is because having a legal police report of the collision can be a major support to your case later on. In addition, the police can assess the scene including damage to the vehicles, which may help them to determine fault.
If you’re injured, even if it’s a minor injury, as the result of a car crash, keep these legal tips in mind.
