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5 Things To Do (And Not Do) After An Accident

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5 Things To Do (And Not Do) After An Accident

We try to avoid them, but they still happen. Yes, accidents happen. Accidents are all around us. Slow-moving or standstill traffic? Chances are it’s because of an accident. Those flashing blue or red lights and loud sirens? The police and Fire Rescue are probably responding to an accident.


Although accidents are unavoidable, you can prepare for what to do after an accident. Here are 5 things to do and not do after an accident.

1.  Do: Seek medical help.  If you are injured in an accident, your main focus should be on seeking medical help. Even if you do not think the injury is serious, you should still seek medical help because 
most injuries aren’t felt or discovered until days or weeks after an accident.

2. Do: Make Sure The Accident Is Documented. After an accident, police arrive a short time later to investigate the accident scene, speak to witnesses, and to create an accident report. The accident report will contain information such as the weather conditions, the drivers and vehicles involved in the accident, whether any traffic citations were issued, and the driver’s insurance information.  After the accident, you can request a copy of the accident report for your records for a nominal fee.

3.  Do: File a Claim With Your Insurance Company.  Shortly after an accident, you should file a claim with your insurance company. An insurance adjuster will likely come out to inspect the damage to the vehicles. The insurance adjuster or a claims representative may also explain the benefits you are entitled to under your insurance coverage. While most of this is routine, don’t forget that the insurance adjuster and claims representative works for the insurance company, not you.

4.  Don’t: Accept or sign anything from insurance companies. Once you file a claim, you may be offered a check from the insurance company. The catch is that you will have to sign a “Release” in exchange for accepting the check.  The Release is a legally-binding document that will prevent you from bringing a claim in the future, even if you are still injured or suffering after the accident.

If the check cannot cover any additional medical treatment that you may need, you will have to pay for it out-of-pocket. The check may seem enticing, but remember, the insurance company is in the business of collecting premiums, not paying out money.

5.  Do: Speak with a legal expert. When you are trying recover from an accident, the last thing you are concerned about are things such as liability (i.e. who is at fault?) and damages (i.e. pain and suffering, medical expenses). Unfortunately, the other driver and the insurance companies are concerned with these things and will do everything they can to protect themselves or to avoid paying out money to compensate you for your injuries.

So who is going to protect you? The only way to protect yourself is to 
get matched with an accident attorney. Your accident attorney can help you understand your rights, and can speak to the insurance companies on your behalf to get the maximum amount of benefits for you while you focus on getting better.

Accidents do happen, but how we respond to them can make all of the difference.

This free article is brought to you by LawChamps, a new and innovative way to get you matched with attorneys who can handle your legal needs.

This article is intended to convey generally useful information only and does not constitute legal advice. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author, not LawChamps.

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