The thud of a car accident — no matter how serious — is absolutely terrifying, and the last thing you need to worry about is making sure all of the damage and aftermath of the crash is covered. By following these steps and ensuring that you get the help of a Santa Barbara car accident lawyer, you can make the aftermath of your accident much easier to get through.
1. Safety First
Directly after the accident, check to see if anyone in your vehicle was injured. It’s a good precaution to keep a first aid kit in your glove compartment in case of minor injuries in an accident. If it was a more serious accident, make sure no one who was hurt makes any large movements until paramedics arrive. If possible, move your car onto the shoulder or into the median to get it out of the way of oncoming traffic.
2. Call 911
If your cars weren’t too damaged to move, get out of the road before calling the police. Otherwise, stay put and dial 911. If it was a serious accident, calling 911 is the quickest way to get a hold of the police. If it’s not a serious accident, let the 911 operator know it’s not an emergency, or look up the local police department’s number on your phone.
3. Keep a Good Record
When you talk to the police, give them an accurate description of what happened in the accident. Take photos of the scene of the accident and the damage to your car. If there were any witnesses, ask for their accounts of the accident as well. Keeping a good record will help ensure that your car repairs are covered.
4. Contact Your Insurance Agent
After the police speak to all parties involved, they will write up a report of the accident and provide a copy to each driver. You will then need to take the report to your insurance agent to file a claim to get the damage to your car fixed. They may ask for a recant of what happened during the accident. If the other driver was at fault, you may end up working with their insurance company to get your car inspected and a repair estimate made.
5. Call a Santa Barbara Car Accident Lawyer
Make sure that your vehicle damage gets repaired and your medical bills get covered by enlisting the help of a Santa Barbara car accident lawyer. Working with an attorney can increase the amount of money you receive in damages from your car accident. Don’t get treated unfairly by insurance agents — call us today.
