How to Handle Automobile Accidents
Car accidents are distressing from the first moment they occur. In addition to being shaken up in the hours following the accident, there are also worries about injuries, property damage, financial costs, and inconvenience.
While you can’t turn back the clock and erase a car accident from existence, the following steps may reduce the negative impact a car accident has on your life:
- Always carry sufficient car accident coverage. Ask your insurance agent or an attorney to review your coverage to ensure you have enough to pay for repairs, injuries, etc.
- Always carry proof of your auto insurance coverage.
- Also carry renters insurance for your Gainesville, Florida apartment. Renters insurance may offer additional coverage for accidents that occur on the property. Renters insurance may also cover personal property losses regardless of where the car accident occurs.
- Call 911 after any car accident, no matter how minor it is. Request a police report from the responding officer.
- Check to see if anyone is injured.
- Even if no one believes they are injured, it is wise to go to the emergency room anyway. Serious head, back, and spinal injuries may not cause symptoms until hours after the accident. Prompt medical attention can help limit the damage.
- Keep a camera in your car to take pictures of the accident.
- Keep a pen and paper in your car to record the names of those involved in the accident, their contact information, their insurance information, witness information, vehicle information, etc. You may also want to carry a checklist at all times to remind you of which information to gather after the accident.
- Make a diagram of the accident while it is still fresh in your mind.
- Contact an attorney. Virtually all personal injury and car accident attorneys will provide free consultations and assessments of your case.
Finally, always wear your seatbelt, insist that your passengers do the same, and drive as safely as possible. Also leave as much space between your vehicle and those around you. This gives everyone time to react and avoid accidents. It’s better to be angry about a close call than deal with the aftermath of a collision.
