I Have Been in a Car Accident – What Should I Do Now?

In 2020, according to Forbes, there were 35,766 fatal car accidents in the United States.

In addition to this, a further 1,593,390 crashes occurred that resulted in injuries, and 3,621,681 caused property damage.

This equates to a whopping 5,250,837 collisions that happened in just one year.

If you are one of the above statistics, then you may be wondering what you need to do next.

Seek medical attention

Immediately after being involved in a motoring accident, you need to seek medical attention, even if you don’t appear to have any obvious injuries.

If there is an ambulance on the scene, then ask to be checked over. Alternatively, ask a family member to take you to the nearest hospital.

Exchange details with other parties

If you do not require immediate medical attention and you are able to, then the next step is to exchange details with anyone else involved in the accident. This may be another driver, multiple drivers, or pedestrians.

Make sure that you get their names,contact information such as their phone number, and details of their insurance company.

Speak to any witnesses

If you have been injured, you may want to file a claim for compensation, and to do this, you will need to gather as much evidence as possible.

Again, if you feel physically able to do so, try to speak to as many witnesses as possible and take note of their names and contact details so they can be contacted if needed.

Call a car accident lawyer

As mentioned above, if the accident was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation, something which a car accident lawyer can help you with.

When it comes to claiming compensation, insurers will do whatever it takes to try and not pay out, so professional advice and support are a must.

If you live in Horry County, then these Myrtle Beach Car Accident Lawyers can help you.

Contact your insurance company

Ideally, you should contact your insurance company while you are still at the scene of the accident. Many insurance companies have a limit on the time you have to report a car accident, typically 24 hours, so make sure you do this as a matter of urgency.

You will need to tell your insurer what happened and give them details of any injuries you have sustained. It can also be useful to provide them with any dashcam footage or pictures if you have taken any.

Don’t admit guilt

In most cases, where a car accident occurs, the police are notified. When they arrive at the scene, they will want to talk to all parties involved to try and get a picture of what has happened.

It is important that you do not admit guilt or fault when questioned by the police, as this could have a negative effect on any claims you choose to pursue.

Instead, try to stay calm and don’t let others pressure you to take the blame for the accident. This is especially important if you have been injured as you may not be able to fully understand what is going on.

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