Miscellaneous

What to Do If You’re Involved in a Car Accident That Isn’t Your Fault

In 2021, more than 2.1 million people were injured in car accidents across the United States. And while many of these accidents were caused by driver error, there are still a significant number of accidents that occur through no fault of the drivers involved. If you find yourself in this situation – through no fault of your own – there are some things you can do to protect yourself, both legally and financially.

What to Do Immediately After the Accident

The first thing you should do if you’re involved in a car accident is to check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately.

Once you’ve made sure everyone is okay, the next step is to exchange information with the other driver. You’ll need to get their name, contact information, insurance information, and license plate number. It’s also a good idea to take photos of the damage to both vehicles.

If there are any witnesses to the accident, be sure to get their contact information as well. Witnesses can be incredibly helpful in establishing who was at fault for the accident.

Once you have all of this information, you can file a police report. This is not always necessary, but it’s a good idea if there is significant damage to either vehicle or if anyone was injured.

What to Do Next

Once you’ve taken care of the immediate aftermath of the accident, it’s time to start thinking about your next steps. The first thing you’ll need to do is contact your insurance company and let them know what happened. They will likely ask you for all of the information you gathered at the scene of the accident, so be sure to have it handy. Try to avoid giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. Anything you say could be used against you later.

Your insurance company will then launch an investigation into the accident. Once they determine that you were not at fault, they will work with the other driver’s insurance company to get your repairs covered.

What if the Other Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?

Unfortunately, there are a significant number of drivers on the road who do not have insurance. If you’re involved in an accident with one of these drivers, you may be left to foot the bill for your own repairs.

If this happens, your best bet is to contact an attorney. They will be able to help you recover the costs of your repairs from the other driver, even if they don’t have insurance. An attorney can also help you if the other driver tries to blame you for the accident, even though it wasn’t your fault.

No one ever wants to be involved in a car accident. But if it does happen, it’s important to know what to do and how to protect yourself. By following the steps above, you can ensure that you are taken care of both legally and financially.