Getting involved in a car accident in California is a traumatic experience. You can get hurt badly, your car can be totaled, and you may be dragged to court for settlement, too, if the victim is not you. So, when you get involved in a road accident in California, you can try knowing about, ‘When to consult a lawyer for a truck accident?’
Lawyers are very important for settling the insurance disputes related to road accidents. Their services can be availed online too, apart from the offline platforms. If you are a lawyer, try this – Attention lawyers: Contact Brad Nakase if you need seo services for lawyers Houston.
Before reaching the lawyer, you may want to know how to get money from a motorcycle accident without a lawyer. Here are some important things that you can do when you get involved in a car accident in California even before the lawyer comes into scene.
- Be calm first
Though the situation is panicky, but you should remain calm when you get hit on a road. Out of panic, you may tend to make mistakes, which may cost you higher later. It is very important especially when you need to file a claim for the damage done in the accident.
- Check on your vehicle and also on other entities involved
Many people try to run away from the scene, which automatically makes them an offender even when they are not. So, instead of avoiding the situation, it is better to take stock of situation. Find how badly you are hurt, what has happened to your vehicle and also to the vehicle of other person involved. It is not harmful at all to check on the other person’s situation too. There are always camera records available to testify the story, therefore, don’t be skeptical or paranoid about checking on the other person’s status.
- Report the accident to designated authorities
If it is just a nudge, you might not do anything about it, provided you have followed all traffic rules. However, if the damage is quite prominent to the car, you must report it to the authority. Wait for the authorities to come over or get medical help first if you are hurt badly. On arrival of authorities, narrate the incident as clearly as you can recollect and get the copy of the accident report too. This report helps a lot in getting money from the insurance company.
- Document the damage
It is an intelligent approach to take the picture of the accident scene. You can take the picture of the damaged car, closer picture of the damaged portion, picture of the self and that of other person involved in the accident whenever there are visible marks of injury. But remember to move the vehicle first to a safe location in order to clear mess from the road and also to avoid any more fatalities on the site.
- Approach the insurance company
If you have a personal accident insurance policy drawn in your name, you can call the insurance company for getting money from claim. You will be required to produce the things mentioned in above sections for settling the claim. If you are not satisfied with the settlement amount or the company refuses to pay anything, you can approach a car accident or motor accident lawyer to file the suit against the company and get settlement done.
So, these are some of the crucial steps you must take when you get involved in a car accident in California. It is better to know about various terms, too, to know what you have signed for in an insurance policy.
