Life happens, and sometimes situations beyond our control occur too. Being involved in a car accident is both a stressful and unfortunate situation. It is beneficial to know what your options are if you have been in an accident, if and when this happens. Even a mere bumper bashing could become a complicated process filled with red tape and anxiety. If you are ever in an accident, as the driver, passenger or pedestrian, it will be useful to remember the following five things.
Assess the Situation
Once you have been in an accident, it will help to remain calm and collected at all times. It is important that you do not admit that you were at fault or are to blame at any point as this can affect your case (if you require one) in the future. Check if anyone is hurt and call the local authorities to take care of injured people first and foremost. Clearing the road if cars are immovable will be the next step. Call your loved one or next of kin to come assist you or fetch you if you cannot drive your vehicle or suspect you need medical attention first.
Record Details
In New Mexico, there is a statutory deadline for filing your vehicle accident lawsuit at court, so ensure you adhere to this deadline if you intend on going down this route. If you are able to, use your mobile device to record voice notes of details while you are at the scene as sometimes you can quickly forget these crucial details. Take photographs of the scene of the accident if possible, as well as the damage to both cars, and make a mental note of the time and other details that will follow, including officers or medical staff that attend to you or anyone on the scene.
Report the Accident
In terms of the law, people that can file a lawsuit can include a pedestrian, cyclist, car driver, passengers of any vehicle, motorcycle rider and passenger involved in an accident. If a person dies as a result of an accident, a lawsuit can also be filed. If another vehicle or property is damaged in the accident, you can also file for a lawsuit. Go to the nearest police department and report the accident as soon as you are able to. You will need to keep the details of this case filing too.
Find a Lawyer
During this entire process, you can find a Car Accident Lawyer in Albuquerque New Mexico to assist you with all the legal proceedings, especially if you have been injured or unable to work or you believe the accident you were involved in was due to negligence caused by another party.
Inform Your Insurer
Your final step after being involved in an accident is to inform your insurer of the situation and file a claim. Ensure you file your claim as soon as possible, especially if you require a rental car that is included in your policy.
The most important thing to do when involved in an accident is to try keep a clear head about everything, assess the damage and attend to any injury quickly. Hopefully, this will never be the case but, unfortunately, accidents do happen.