According to recent stats, around 6 million car accidents occur in the US alone in a year. Fortunately, the majority of them are related to property damage. But many of them result in deaths, deadly injuries, and emotional loss. One of the three accidents is related to personal injury wherein the driver or the passengers get hurt. So if you have been involved in a car accident, there are things that you can do to protect your interests in the end. Here’s what you need to do:
- Stop
Once your car has got hit, you don’t have to panic and run away. Even if you’re innocent in the case, you will be charged with “hit and run,” thus allowing the other party to demand compensation from you. We recommend you stay calm and be patient while the cops arrive at the accident scene. It’s a good way to ensure you are complying with the legal laws. Unless you don’t stop, you will eventually cause more damage to yourself or the people around.
- Call the Cops
Even if nobody has suffered serious injuries, you still need to ring the cops as soon as you can. You will have to file a police report before leaving. This way, you can rest assured about contacting the insurance company so that they can file the claim on your behalf. The vehicle involved in the crash should remain where it has been. Neither should it interfere in the traffic, nor should it be moved an inch, even if you wish to move it to the safe side.
- Record Everything
If the cops take a while to arrive at the accident scene, you need to record everything via your phone. Recording things on the smartphone is an easy way to collect evidence. Especially if you have sustained injuries on your body, you need to record them on time. This way, when you contact the personal injury lawyers in Sydney, they’ll help you get the best compensation. Recording everything is the need of the hour, as it helps you solidify your case.
- Exchange Information
Typically, when you get in touch with the cops, they will acquire as much information as they can. However , if the cops have not arrived at the accident scene, you need to obtain information from the people who were involved in the car accident. Especially if you were driving Uber yourself, you need to be wise enough with acquiring information from the passners. As a rule of thumb, you must ask for their mobile numbers, email address and home address. And if possible, try to get details of their social media accounts, since people actively use this medium.
- Seek Medical Attention
If you have sustained a serious injury, you need immediate medical attention. or, if somebody else amongst the passengers have got injured seriously, you need to help them as soon as you can. Even if the accident has had a minor impact on the people, stil you need to help them get medical attention timely. If you lost consciousness and regained it after sometime, you must acknowledge the bruises, record them and seek medical attention.