If you have been involved in a car accident before or if you have had a collision that resulted in you having to claim on your insurance then you’ll understand how frustrating this can be. At the time, you may be in shock as well, and this can lead to you forgetting the whole process that you need to follow. If you want to avoid all of this then it helps to be aware of the various steps you need to take when involved in an accident beforehand, so you know exactly what to do.
What To Do
It’s important to know that if you don’t stop then this is classed as being a serious offense and you will also face a huge fine as a result. You may even face prison as well, so if you are worried about the consequences of having a crash then you’ll soon find that the consequences of failing to provide your details are much worse. If you are driving and either you or the other person has an injury or if you have done damage to their car or even property then you have to remain at the scene for a decent period of time. You also have to provide your name, the details of your address and the details of the vehicle owner as well. If you don’t happen to exchange details then you need to report it to the police as soon as you can. If you have been injured then a Garden Grove personal injury lawyer may be able to help you with that, and this is especially the case if the accident was not your fault.
Insurance
Even if you don’t actually want to claim yourself, it’s very important that you provide the accident report to your insurance company. When you do this, you can easily take care of the whole situation. At the time, it also helps to take as many photographs as you can and you also need to write down as much information as you can as well. This includes the date, the time and even the weather conditions of the accident. This will come in very useful if you do have to make a claim or even if the other person says that you were at fault.
The Other Party
It’s important to know that if you don’t report the details and the other party happens to make a claim against you that this can really cause you problems. They may even have a case against you as well, and this is especially the case if you are not able to prove the details of the scene because you did not report the accident in time. If you are not covered under a car insurance policy then you may have to cover the damages of your own car as well and this can cost you a significant amount, so you need to make sure that you do whatever you can to take out a policy that covers you for your own damages as well as damages done by other people.
