Even the best drivers cannot remain forever free of the chance of colliding with either another driver, or an object that has been planted firmly in the ground. For that reason, every motorist should know what actions to take after becoming involved in an accident.
Stay at the scene of the accident.
Thar rule should be followed by all involved, even those that suffered only minor damage, and did not sustain any visible injuries. Someone that has been severely injured should receive immediate medical attention.
While at the scene, speak with the other driver; get that driver’s name, contact information, license number and the name of the driver’s insurance company. Do not strike up an extended conversation. You must be careful about saying anything that might suggest that you feel responsible for what happened.
Speak with any witnesses. Get their contact information. If you hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Brampton, that lawyer can track down and speak with any witness.
Actions to take during the first 24 to 48 hours after an accident:
Seek medical attention, if you did not need immediate attention right after the collision. Be sure that any passengers also get seen by a physician. Take pictures of the damaged vehicle. Photograph the various objects at the scene of the collision. If there was a traffic light, take a photo of that light. If some bush had obscured a part of a road sign, capture evidence of that fact by using a camera. Ideally, any photographs should show that accident scene at the same time of day as the actual incident.
Seek out and hire a reputable attorney. That attorney’s help can prove invaluable, as you work to prepare the demand letter that must be sent to the other driver’s insurance company. Think about any supporting evidence that could be mailed in the same envelope as the demand letter.
Collect the data that ought to be mentioned in any phone call with the adjuster. Pictures cannot be shown to an adjuster during a phone call. Still, the person that received such a call can share some information on the pictures’ contents, and then mail them to the adjuster’s office.
As negotiations proceed, keep your initial demand in mind. Try not to accept any offer that falls fare below the figure that was stated in the demand letter. Be wary of any suggestion that a low offer is the best that you can get.
That low offer may disregard the possible emergence of more test results. Such results could indicate that the driver or some passenger sustained a serious injury. If that proves to be the case, the insurance company will almost certainly owe you a larger compensation package. Insurers try to avoid requests for an added amount of money.
