Did you know that there are more than 6 million car accidents yearly due to inexperienced drivers? This is why it is crucial to know about hiring a car accident lawyer in Houston, Texas.
Whether you are involved in a minor fender bender or a full-on crash that can lead to severe injuries, you may be too shaken up to think on your feet. Imagine being hurt and scared while trying to document the accident.
This is always challenging. However, taking a few necessary steps to protect yourself after a car accident is crucial. Here is all the information you need to know about dealing with a car accident and why you may need to urgently hire a car accident lawyer.
Why Hire a Car Accidents Lawyer?
Driving cars can be a lot of fun, which is why many inexperienced drivers cannot wait to get behind the wheel. If you have a teenager in the family, they may go on a joyride with some friends instead of focusing on safe driving.
Alternatively, you may be involved in an accident because of someone else’s kid who was not paying attention. Anything can happen on the road. Even the most experienced drivers can find themselves in sticky situations.
Therefore, you should protect yourself by hiring the best car accident lawyer. Educating yourself ahead of time can save you a lot of pain and misery down the line.
Check if Anyone Is Hurt
This is a no-brainer. You must first stay put and check to see if you or any of the other passengers are hurt.
Although you may be concerned about insurance processes and legal problems arising from the accident, you must remember that your health and safety come first and foremost.
Everything else can wait until you are physically and mentally okay. You should contact medical assistance immediately if anyone is hurt in the vehicle.
Take your time before stepping out of the car. After an accident, it is normal to feel like you have a lot of adrenaline. This can, unfortunately, mask the pain from injuries.
Even if you feel fine, you should still be careful of internal injuries or head wounds that can cause significant problems later if you move around too much.
Get Yourself Out of Danger
If you are not hurt, and the accident caused by the inexperienced driver is minor, you should try to get yourself out of danger by driving the car to the side. This way, your vehicle will not disrupt traffic or cause another accident if someone else is speeding down the same road.
The best thing to do is to set up some flares. Then the other cars will be able to see you on dark streets to avoid crashing into you. You should also set up some reflective emergency triangles around the vehicle.
These little things will significantly help other cars know to slow down when approaching you. However, remember to focus on your health before anything else.
If you are injured badly in the car, you must avoid jumping out to do all these things. Leave the vehicle where it is and try to get medical attention as soon as possible.
If you are not hurt, be extra careful when stepping out of the crashed vehicle. If you have an accident on a busy highway, you may be too dazed and confused from the accident to think clearly. This can cause you to step in front of oncoming traffic, putting yourself in grave danger.
Call the Police
It is always essential to report a car accident in Houston, Texas. However, in some situations, the police may not come running to deal with a minor collision. Many police departments are changing their reporting ways to let people provide all the information online.
If you get an officer to come to you after an accident, you should always take note of the officer’s badge number, name, and contact information.
Otherwise, you can also ask for a copy of your accident report from the law enforcement officer. This can also be done through your insurance adjuster, who handles your insurance claim.
Collect Essential Information
It would be best to pull out your cellphone camera when you are safe from the accident and can move about freely. This is to help take pictures to document the accident.
Ensure you take pictures from different angles of the street, street signs, and anything else you can think of. The more pictures you have, the stronger your case will be because you will help paint a clear picture of the accident to determine who is at fault.
You must also try to write down the driver’s name in the other vehicle involved in the accident. It is also beneficial to jot down their address and license number.
Sometimes, a driver’s name does not match their insurance papers or car registration. Then you will need to find out the person’s relationship with the vehicle owner whose name is on those essential documents.
After grabbing the driver’s details, you should collect all the information about the vehicle they are driving. This should include the vehicle identification number, license plate number, color, and make and model of the car.
It also helps to get their insurance policy number if you do not trust them to report the accident. There may also be some witnesses who have seen the accident.
You must speak to them and collect their contact information with any details of the accident that they can recall. Although it is handy to have a lot of information, be careful about sharing your personal information, like social security numbers.
Document the Accident
When you record videos of the aftermath or take pictures, always check the full impact on your car. Look around to see if your driver’s side, rear, or front side is damaged.
This can be done by taking pictures of the entire car with close-up shots of any damage to your car or the other vehicle. Then you must record the time and date of the accident.
If there are any skid marks on the road, they should also be included. You must also note the direction each car was driving from before the collision. This information is critical because it helps re-create the accident when you report it.
The voice memo app on phones is handy because you can dictate what happened while all the details regarding the accident are still fresh in your mind. Finally, you should also write down some information about the visibility on the road and if the weather is terrible.
Avoid Pointing Fingers
Remember that emotions can run very high after a car accident. If you think the other driver is aggressive or impaired, you should avoid interacting with them.
Otherwise, a fight can escalate, and police intervention may be the only choice. To keep yourself safe from harm, it is best to calmly take down all the details about the accident instead of arguing with anyone else about who is at fault.
Your car accident lawyer can help you prove your case, so you do not need to get into a screaming match in the middle of the road with the other party.
Contact Insurance Company
Even though you may be tempted to negotiate some cash on the side to avoid an insurance claim, you should still report the accident. Otherwise, you may be liable for damages caused.
The cost of repairs can also outstrip your car’s value, depending on the extent of the damage. Never leave the scene without a police report. Especially if you are confident that the accident is not your fault.
If the inexperienced driver’s insurance is not enough to cover your car’s damages, your insurance company will need to check your policy for any coverage that can help.
For instance, if they are satisfied that you are not at fault, they could provide a liability waiver to save you from paying the deductible.
See a Doctor
Some injuries only become apparent after a day or two following a car accident. Even if you feel fine at the accident scene, you must never assume that you are free from serious spinal or head injuries.
Always visit your doctor if you experience any unusual symptoms or any pain. Your insurance claim should also include injuries resulting from a car accident.
Therefore, you must document any physical harm resulting from the accident.
Finally, remain calm and proactive as much as possible. Remember that a car accident can be terrifying, so take it one step at a time to gather all your evidence, or hire a car accident lawyer to take care of things for you.
Hire a Lawyer Today
Now that you know what to do after getting involved in a car accident with an inexperienced driver, it is time to get in touch with the best car accident lawyer.
Contact us today and we can help collect all the essential information about the car accident to defend your rights. Remember to focus on your health before leaving the car to take pictures or videos.
Avoid leaving your vehicle in the middle of the road and call the police to obtain an accident report.