Mistakes to Avoid After an Accident
Hopefully, you'll never be involved in an auto accident. In reality, however, car accidents occur every day—and there's always a chance you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the event that you are involved in a car accident, your health and well being is always a top priority. However, there are some mistakes you'll want to be careful to avoid when it comes to filing an insurance claim and receiving compensation for your injuries down the road.
Admitting Fault
Even if you believe the accident was your fault, you should never admit guilt at the scene of an accident. Doing so on-record (such as in a statement to police) could come back to bite you down the road, as your insurance policy may have a clause that suspends or nullifies your coverage in such a situation. Instead of admitting any fault, stay calm and neutral while collecting insurance information from all other involved parties at the scene.
Overlooking Witnesses
If there were any witnesses to your accident who stop to offer assistance, be sure to gather their contact information—especially if they saw another driver cause the accident. You might even want to ask any witnesses to stick around and provide a statement to the police. This can help to make an accurate determination of fault when the time comes, which can help with your claim.
Not Seeing a Doctor
Even if you don't think you've sustained any major injuries in the accident, it's a good idea to see a doctor immediately. Often times, the adrenaline from an accident can "mask" pain, so you may not realize you're injured until the next day or even a few days down the road. Refusing medical assessment at the scene could make it difficult to obtain an insurance recovery later on if you do end up having injuries.
Waiting to File a Claim
Aside from calling 9-1-1 following your accident, the first phone call you make should be to report the accident to your insurance agent. This will make sure that the ball can get rolling on the claims process as quickly as possible, which should help expedite your payout.
There's a chance that you may never need to use this information—but if you are in an accident, you'll be glad you follow this practical advice. From there, you can receive what you are entitled to from the insurance company. Learn more about your options by contacting services such as Webers Insurance Service Inc.