After a car accident, you can protect your rights to compensation by calling the police to ensure there is an official police report for the collision.
If driving is a regularly part of your daily life, unfortunately, it’s highly likely that you will be involved in some type of traffic accident at least once in your lifetime. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that motorists are, on average, involved in at least one Encino motor vehicle accident every five or so years. While this statistic may be a source of anxiety, it’s important to point out that:
- Many of these traffic accidents are minor fender benders.
- Although even minor fender benders can result in very expensive damage to vehicles (or could cause injuries, like whiplash, that may need expensive ongoing medical treatments), accident victims will likely be entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses when the negligence of another driver (or other party) has contributed to the accident.
- The actions that motorists take after car accidents can greatly affect their compensation.
Here and in an upcoming second part of this blog, we will outline the five essential steps that motorists should take if they are ever involved in a car accident. By being careful to follow these steps, drivers can do their best to protect their rights to compensation in the near future.
Step 1: Call the Police
Even if you are involved in a seemingly minor car accident and no one has been injured, calling the police to report the accident is important because it ensures that there will be an official police report associated with the collision. Having a police report associated with a car accident can be crucial to:
- Establishing possible fault in the collision
- Having an official report that details the facts of the case (e.g., the date, time and location of the accident)
- Having a comprehensive list of all of the witnesses associated with the accident, including the contact information for each witness.
In some cases, in fact, insurers may require drivers to have a police report for a car accident in order to receive a payout on a collision claim.
Step 2: Get Other Drivers’ Insurance Info
Although a police report for a collision will likely detail the other driver’s (or drivers’) information, it’s always a good idea to collect this info in the immediate aftermath of a car accident because then you can immediately report it to your insurance carrier to get your claim started (as it can take weeks for the official police report to become available). Some of the essential information to collect after a car accident includes other motorists’ names, phone numbers/addresses, insurance information and drivers’ license numbers. Additionally, be sure to note other drivers’ vehicles and license plate numbers.
If you don’t have a pen or piece of paper with you, you may be able to text or email this info to yourself using your cellphone.
Stay posted for our forthcoming second part of this blog for the final three steps that all drivers should take after getting into any type of traffic accident.
Encino Car Accident Lawyers
If you have been injured in a car accident or in any type of motor vehicle accident, you can rely on the Encino car accident attorneys at Binder and Associates to aggressively defend your rights to compensation in any necessary legal setting.
To arrange for your free initial consultation during which you will receive trusted advice from an experienced legal professional, please contact our office by calling us at (818) 659-8588
