In a Motor Vehicle Accident?

An accident can be distressing, but knowing how to handle the situation ahead of time can relive a lot of stress and panic. Follow these steps:

Stay Calm and Breathe

Take a deep breath, stay calm, and get to safety as quickly as possible. If you had a minor fender bender, you can move the cars out of the way of traffic. If you cannot move your car without causing further damage, leave the cars where they are.

Determine if there are any injuries that need immediate medical attention.

File a Report

File a car accident report with police.

Even if the accident is minor, it is important to make sure there is a legal accident report. You should also ask police for a copy of this report once it is finished, which may take a couple of days. In some cases, law enforcement may not respond to accidents unless there are injuries.

Even if this is the case, you should still file a state accident report, which can help your insurance company speed up the claims process.

If there is law enforcement response, get the following information from the police officer: name, badge or ID number, phone number and police report number.

Stay Quiet

Do not admit any fault or liability and limit your discussion about the accident.

Speak to the other driver only to get their information and make sure they are okay. Do not admit fault or say, “I’m sorry” during the conversation, as it could be used against you in further proceedings.

Take Notes

Your insurance company will need specific information to process your claim.

If you are in a vehicle accident, you should write down the following information of the people involved: name, address, phone number, description of car, license plate number, the insurance company information and vehicle identification number of the other car.

Also include details of the damage caused by the accident to both cars. If you have a camera, take photos to show the damage and accident location.

Call Your Insurance Company

Call your insurance company as soon as possible, even if you are still at the scene.

Sometimes if there is still an officer on scene, they can give your insurance company more accurate information than information you may or may not be paying attention to because you are upset by the accident.

Your claims representative will likely contact you within 24 hours to discuss your claim.

Searching for a Tucson Car Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident, you should also contact your Tucson car accident attorney as soon as you can.

The personal injury attorney’s at Thrush Law Group have extensive experience in personal injury and know that quality counsel is essential when dealing with one’s injury case.