by Sideswiped: What to Do After Car Crosses the Line
In 2020, over 38,600 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, despite the fact that Americans drove less that year. It’s becoming increasingly more dangerous to be on the road, and even if an accident isn’t fatal, it can still have long-lasting effects.
For example, a car sideswipe not only damages your vehicle, but can also injure you and leave you shaken up. So to be prepared for a potential crash, here’s what you need to do after you’ve been sideswiped.
Pull Over
If you’re able to, you should pull over and put your hazard lights on. This will indicate to other drivers that you’re parked on the side and you’ll avoid being in another car crash.
Assess the situation and see if anyone’s badly hurt. If so, then call 911 immediately. Otherwise, document the injuries by taking photos on your cell phone.
Get Information
Get out and gather information from everyone involved in the crash. You’ll want to get their:
- Full name
- Driver’s license
- Phone number
- Car information (make, model, and color)
- License plate number
- Insurance information
Call the police and get the name of all officers on the scene. You’ll also want to get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses.
An important thing to remember is to never admit fault, even if you clearly caused the accident. This will only hurt your case.
Notify Your Insurance Company
After you’ve collected all vital information, you need to notify your insurance company of the crash. You should also file an accident report at this time so everything’s on record. The police officers on scene may be able to do this for you or you might have to go into the station to do so.
See the Doctor
You should always go see the doctor after a sideswipe or any other car accident, even if you feel fine. For many injuries, you won’t feel them until later, so it’s good to be proactive. This can help if you want to file a claim (more on this later), as you’ll have proof you sought medical attention immediately.
File a Claim When Sideswiped
If you weren’t at fault for the vehicle sideswipe, then you should seek a lawyer’s help, like Sweet Lawyers. They’ll be able to gather all the necessary documentation to file a claim for you.
And with their extensive knowledge and experience, they won’t allow the insurance companies to take advantage of you. This can decrease a lot of stress so you can focus on recovering from the crash.
Stay Safe on the Road
It’s never fun being sideswiped, but there are key actions you should take in case it happens. By knowing these steps ahead of time, it’ll be easier to figure out should it happen to you.
Now you know what to do in a sideswipe car accident. But what about other legal matters? Keep reading our blog page to find out more!
