Crashing your car can be a costly endeavor. Luckily, your insurance provider should cover the repair costs as long as you follow all necessary procedures.
Contact your insurer immediately after a collision to initiate the claims process and determine whether your car has been declared total loss based on an estimate for repairs. An adjuster will assess a repair estimate to assess whether total loss applies.
Take Pictures
After being involved in a car accident, the first thing you should do is take photos of the scene including any damage to your vehicle. These pictures will help your lawyer and experts reconstruct what occurred at the scene of the incident and make it easier for them to establish who was at fault for causing it.
Begin by taking pictures of both vehicles involved in the collision from various angles and distances, both close-up shots showing any dents and scratches as well as wider views that show their positioning at the time of impact. In addition, take shots of the road itself as well as any traffic signals or signs near by; photograph their license plates when possible.
Take photographs of any visible injuries you or your passengers sustained in an accident, even if you don’t think they hurt immediately; your condition could worsen later, so showing these photos to a physician will support any potential claims for compensation. In addition, snap shots of the interior of your vehicle, including its dashboard and seats.
Be confident to use your camera’s zoom feature when appropriate and safe to do so. In the aftermath of a car crash, details can easily be lost in the chaos. If it’s unsafe to take photos immediately at the crash scene, try going back as soon as it’s safe and taking shots from various angles to capture its full scope.
Take photos with and without flash when possible. Sometimes taking a photograph using flash can reveal information hidden by natural lighting; also having backup pictures taken with flash might prove invaluable in case original photos become blurry or distorted.
If possible, take pictures from various angles and times of day of vehicles in an intersection, including weather or lighting conditions that might have contributed to an accident. Be sure to capture images of nearby buildings, parking lots or any other areas which might provide clues to who was at fault.
Exchange Insurance Information
Once it has been determined that no one was injured in an accident, the next step should be exchanging insurance information with the other driver. This should include their full name, insurance company policy number and license plate numbers as well as car make, model year color. Note any distinguishing features such as special wheels rims or window tinting.
Requesting the name and full contact details of every driver involved can make a difference when filing a personal injury claim. Some drivers use family member’s names on their insurance card, which could cause confusion regarding who caused the accident. Furthermore, asking for their address and phone number will prove useful if they cannot or refuse to give a written statement at the scene of an accident.
Take note of each vehicle identification number (VIN), as this will allow you to establish legal ownership. Furthermore, gather names and contact info of witnesses at the scene.
Wrecking your car without insurance can have devastating financial repercussions, from vehicle replacement costs and medical bills to lost wages and legal fees. At Morgan & Morgan, our expert car wreck lawyers can determine your best course of action for seeking adequate compensation for any losses sustained as a result of an auto collision.
If your vehicle is considered totaled and declared a total loss by its insurance company, they will send a check for its actual cash value less any applicable deductibles. An attorney can assist with identifying its fair market value as well as negotiate with them in order to get you maximum compensation for your damages.
Document the Damages
Documenting damages caused by a car accident is vitally important, both as evidence of their severity and as a means to claim for compensation from those at fault and/or their insurers, and also protect yourself from possible claims of negligence or false statements by others involved.
Take pictures of the scene immediately following an accident to document what has happened, including both vehicles, any damage they might have sustained and any skid marks or traffic signs that might have been damaged by it. Make sure you obtain license plate numbers, names of drivers involved in the crash as well as contact info for any witnesses who might come forward later on.
Documentation that could prove extremely valuable following an accident includes a police report. This will establish the facts surrounding it and could prevent third parties from changing their story later, potentially opening you up to legal claims from them.
Be sure to take notes of everything that happened, such as time, date and weather conditions as well as information provided from witnesses such as other drivers or the authorities. This will come in handy when filing your claim as it can help demonstrate why it wasn’t your fault.
Be sure to inspect security cameras near the crash site as well, as these can provide crucial evidence on how an accident took place. Some cars even feature event data recorders that provide important details like throttle speed, airbag deployment, brake application, steering angles and vehicle and engine speeds – information which could prove invaluable in reconstructing how something occurred.
Be sure to schedule a medical evaluation as soon as possible following an accident, which in some states is mandatory. A thorough medical exam can help identify whether you’ve suffered any injuries and if any ongoing treatments such as physical therapy or surgery might be needed.
As well as consulting a doctor for diagnosis, it is also beneficial to keep a journal detailing your thoughts and emotions after injury, any issues with recovery, pain relief measures taken during recovery process as well as mental distress claims not covered by standard policies. By recording this data you will provide more detail of injury, symptoms of healing process as well as compensation claims not covered by standard policies such as pain compensation.
Write a Demand Letter
Demand letters are one way of trying to resolve an automobile accident claim outside of court. Insurance companies won’t cover your case until they know all of its details; so sending them one could provide them with all that information.
An effective demand letter should include all the facts surrounding your accident, from insurance company information and contact details for questions to dates and places related to it. Doing this will allow them to quickly track your request without confusion or delays.
Victims should write their demand letters as though you were explaining your accident to someone unfamiliar with all of its details and treatments, attempting to stay as calm as possible; any comments may later be used against you in court proceedings.
Your letter should outline all of the losses resulting from an accident, such as medical expenses, lost wages and property damage. Provide receipts or documentation that proves these costs; this will demonstrate to an insurer how much compensation should be granted in response to this loss.
Non-economic damages should also be listed, including pain and suffering. Although harder to document, non-economic losses could play a crucial role in your total compensation amount; without evidence supporting these demands from you, the insurance company might disregard them altogether.
Finally, it’s important to list a monetary amount you would accept from an insurance company in exchange for their reimbursement of all of your losses, such as repair or replacement of vehicle and any out-of-pocket expenses. Be sure to account for every expense related to such losses such as repair/replace costs as well as out-of-pocket expenses that arise during an incident.
An effective demand letter will increase the odds of reaching an equitable settlement with an insurance provider. If settlement cannot be reached, an experienced attorney can file suit on your behalf and help recover compensation that you rightfully deserve.
