Steps to take if you become a victim of a traffic accident
Your sitting in your car stopped in rush hour traffic and suddenly you hear the squealing of tires behind you, too late!... some one has hit you from behind. What do you do now?
Many people tell me that they don't know what to do if they are involved in an accident. This easy guide is a short but good starting point for you if you are involved in a accident. It can be used in any traffic accident and is a good tool to teach your children, if they are of driving age.
If you are not hurt then you need to exit your vehicle if it is safe to do so and check on the other driver to see if they are hurt. If you live in a state that requires you to move your vehicles out of the roadway, if no one is hurt, then do this as soon as you can, but remember where your car is sitting right now.
After the situation is safe for you and the other driver, get out and get the other driver's name, address, drivers licence number, vehicle licence plate number, and note what kind of vehicle they are driving. People have been known to switch licence plates to other cars they own without having to register them, so if you can say what kind of vehicle it is then your ahead of the game.
If you haven't already done so call and report the accident to the police. While waiting for the police to arrive, start taking pictures of your car and the other vehicle as well. You will want to take pictures of all sides of the vehicles to properly show the extent of damage to both vehicles.
Cell phone's with camera's are great for this, you can up load the pictures to computer to print out the pictures when you get home.
Also you will want pictures of the roadway where the accident happened. This will help you later if you need to go to court. If you see gouge marks in the pavement where your vehicles were, then you will need these as well, for this shows point of impact from the vehicle that hit you.
When the officer arrives, tell him that you have taken picture's, some departments will note this on their accident report. Be patient and courteous, accidents are not fun, but you will get no where if you are yelling and screaming at any one. You will find that things go a lot smoother for you if you treat every one as you would like to be treated.
All this may seem like a lot, but you can not go back in time, if later you find yourself in court having to defend your self. Just because they hit you does not mean that they wont sue you! This has happened plenty of times. If you follow these guide lines than you will be able to ensure that you get a fair settlement from the insurance company and the courts if you end up being sued.
Author: Roth Putney
30 year law enforcement veteran with over 18 years in traffic investigations and reconstruction.
Now helping others to market on the net. http://www.mylearn2market.com
30 years in law enforcement, 18 as a traffic investigator and reconstruction. Now helping others market on the Internet as well as helping design web sites.
http://www.mylearn2market.com
Tags: cars, cell phone, extent, game, pavement, roadway, rush hour traffic, tires, traffic accident |
