When you are involved in a vehicle accident, it is important to realize that, although the incident may seem to be small at the moment, an injury may still occur after the incident is finished. Don’t assume nothing is wrong just because you feel well at the time. When you’ve been involved in any vehicle accident, it’s critical to follow the rules outlined below.
1. Inspect the area for injuries
While not all injuries are immediately visible, seeking appropriate treatment is critical and should be addressed if you detect an obvious and immediate injury. Medical help should be sought immediately after any visible injury. By dialing 911, you can quickly obtain the necessary help.
Additionally, keep an eye out for any changes in health over time since injuries may manifest slowly due to the adrenaline and anxiety associated with the original accident, which may numb or dull internal damage.
2. Contact the authorities and submit a report of the accident
Without formal evidence of your collision, it may be difficult to establish the cause of subsequent injuries or vehicle damage that may manifest weeks or months later. Without an official report, the other motorist may deny the collision occurred, and your insurance company may be unable to offer some coverage.
Inform the dispatcher that you were engaged in an accident and confirm your age. This way, they know to send just a police officer to the site to write the accident report and not call an ambulance. Take no promises to keep it confidential, and never accept any monetary payment in exchange for letting it go. Protecting your legal rights is critical for both insurance and personal reasons. Similarly, your insurance will not pay losses in most cases without a formal accident report being submitted. If you need to submit an Illinois accident report, you may want to access these services directly.
3. Contact your insurance provider and submit a claim
You should contact your automobile insurance company to report the accident and file a claim. It’s prudent to report a small accident for a variety of reasons. To begin, if your vehicle sustains any damage or if you get an injury, you may have insurance to cover the cost of repairs and medical bills. Even minor vehicle repairs may be costly. When you submit a claim, your insurance agent will explain the coverage options available to you and how to use them.
Second, the opposing motorist may attempt to assert a claim for vehicle damage or injuries that were not immediately apparent but developed many days, weeks, or months later. In these instances, you’ll want to save evidence of your insurance company’s official report. Your claim may contain a police report, photographs of the accident scene, and your comments about the accident’s cause. If your insurance provider has all this information, it will cover you if the other driver causes an accident.
4. Remain at the accident site until you are permitted to depart
Never leave an accident site after law enforcement has been notified, regardless of how small the event seems to you. Leaving the scene is a crime, and you should stay with your car unless your injuries need you to be transported to a hospital by ambulance for treatment. Law enforcement will be able to reach you in this instance.
5. Refuse to acknowledge or confess responsibility for the accident
While you should never admit responsibility to the other motorist, you should equally avoid apologizing for the accident since this suggests acceptance of fault. Maintain a calm and polite demeanor while awaiting the arrival of appropriate authorities. After a small automobile accident, knowing what to do entails never admitting fault, even if you feel partly at fault. In the event of an accident, our inherent empathy may create a false narrative in our minds. Allow the police officer to reach their conclusions and respond honestly and succinctly to inquiries.
Follow these steps to determine what to do after any form of an automobile accident. Any car collision, regardless of how minor it seems, should be treated seriously. There are many actions that every motorist and passenger should do immediately after an accident, if appropriate. If you happen to be a minor in an accident, keep calm and follow the above tips.
Author information: Maggie Bloom graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in communication and writing. In her spare time, she loves to dance, read, and bake. She also enjoys traveling and scouting out new brunch locations.
