Do you know there are 6 million accidents on average every year in the US? Springfield, a city in Missouri, set a record of traffic fatalities in 2020. The city police chief mentioned around 27 traffic fatalities in city limits, and more than half of fatalities came from motorcycle accidents.
Accidents are unpredictable, and they are traumatic experiences to everyone involved, even if you are not injured. The mind is full of emotions and uncertainty, and you don’t know what to do. Hiring a Springfield car accident lawyer can make a difference to your case.
To make things easy for you, here is a step-by-step guide to deal with the aftermath of a car accident.
Check for Injuries
According to 2020 Traffic Services Statistics, the city registered 1567 accidents where people suffered severe injuries. After an accident, you need to get out of the vehicle and check your body for injuries.
If you are not seriously injured and in a position to help others, check whether anyone is injured in either car involved in an accident. If someone is injured, you need to call 911 for immediate medical assistance.
Preserve the Accident Scene
The next important thing is to preserve the accident scene until the police arrive. It would help if you did not move your cars from the accident scene and prevent others from tampering with the accident scene. It would help if you left everything as it is for insurance and police investigation.
Call the Police
Missouri laws require you to call the police immediately after the accident. Hence, you need to call the police and share the accident location. It would help if you waited until the police arrived. The judge asks for a police report of the accident when you file a case for damages.
Let the police arrive, note the accident scene details, collect evidence, and prepare a legal report of the car accident.
Click Photos
After calling the police, you should focus on collecting evidence of the accident by clicking photos of the accident. Make sure you click the photos of both vehicles involved in the accident, people involved in the accident, and your injuries.
Springfield car accident lawyers can help strengthen your claim for damages using the evidence collected from the accident site. Missouri is a fault state in accident claims. It means the driver responsible for the accident is liable to pay for damages and compensation to everyone involved in the accident.
Call a Car Accident Attorney
You need to call a car accident lawyer immediately after the accident. After a car accident, there is a lot of confusion at the accident site, and the insurance agents may try to take advantage of the situation. They might trick you into giving a confession that you were at fault in the accident.
Hence you need to call a car accident lawyer who can guide you properly to deal with the aftermath of an accident.
Report Accident to Insurance Company
After receiving first aid or medical treatment for your injuries, report the accident to your insurance company. The insurance company will discuss what benefits are offered under your insurance policy, including covering medical costs for treatment.
To sum up, the effects of accidents can last for a long time. It would help if you acted quickly and in the right way to minimize damages.
Comments