Did you know there are 6 million car accidents across the country each year? 3 million people are injured in those accidents every year too.
Have you been in an accident in Southern California? Whether you’ve been in an accident before or you want to stay informed, it’s important to know what to do after a car accident.
This guide will go over important steps you should follow if you’ve been in an accident. Keep reading to learn more.
Check for Injuries
The first thing you should do after you’ve been in a car accident is to check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone’s suffered any severe injury, you need to call 911 right away. The injured person shouldn’t move to avoid making the injury worse.
If everyone in your car is fine, you should check on the people in the other car to see if any of their passengers have been injured. Getting medical attention is the most important step after an accident.
Get to a Safe Place
If the damage to the cars is minor and you don’t have any serious injuries, you should try to move to a safer location. If your accident occurred in the middle of a busy intersection, it’s unsafe to remain there. You could cause another accident.
Try to move your car to the side of the road or a nearby parking lot so you can wait for help. Keep your hazard lights on so other cars can slow down as they drive past you.
Contact the Police
Once you’ve determined everyone is safe and injury-free, you should contact the police. If your car only got a small dent, you won’t need to go to the police station but you’ll still need to file an accident report.
The accident report will document the details of the accident. It’ll serve as a record of everyone involved and how things occurred.
Start the Insurance Claim
Before contacting your insurance company, you’ll need to collect insurance information from the other drivers in the accident. Make sure you also jot down their names, driver’s license number, and plate number.
Take photos of both cars and of any visible injuries you have. You’ll need to give this information to your insurance company so they can process your claim for you.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
It’s also important to contact a car accident lawyer after you’ve been in an accident. An attorney that specializes in traffic accidents can help you with the claims process in case you’re having trouble getting the settlement you deserve from your insurance company.
A lawyer will negotiate on your behalf and ensure you get the compensation you deserve for lost wages, medical bills, and car repair costs after the accident.
Follow These Steps After a Car Accident in Southern California
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in southern California, you’ll need to follow the steps in the guide above. After filing a police report, you’ll need to contact a car accident lawyer.
Check out some of the other legal blogs on our site if you found helpful tips in this one.
