On any given day, there could be hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road, so the chance of getting into an accident is high. Many accidents will be nothing more than fender benders, but in some situations, the end result could be much worse. After getting into an accident, some drivers sustain permanent injuries.
Medical bills and rehabilitation can cause a lot of stress. It’s best to be prepared for an accident, so when it happens, the appropriate actions will be taken. An individual should understand their rights, and know what to do after an accident.
Criminal Charges
After being involved in a car accident, a person is not likely to think about whether they will be facing criminal charges. However, many car accidents end up with the driver facing criminal charges.
Regardless of what happens, it’s important to never admit fault. When a person has been involved in an accident that included a fatality, it’s especially important to never admit guilt. It’s almost always best to consult with an attorney after all of the basic steps have been taken.
What You Need To Do
An individual always has legal options and rights, and after a vehicle accident, he or she must take all of the necessary steps to protect those rights. Anyone who is involved in an accident must provide reasonable assistance to whoever was injured in the crash, which could be as simple as calling an ambulance. It’s also important to warn other drivers of the situation.
Engaging vehicle hazard lights of planting flares on the road are two ways to warn other drivers. For legal purposes, all possible information should be gathered. Both drivers must exchange vehicle registrations. The license number, telephone number, date of birth, address and name of both drivers should be documented.
Both drivers must also exchange insurance information. The name, address and all other relevant information of passengers involved in the accident should be documented. The telephone number, name and address of any witnesses should be documented. The driver should try to get any witnesses to remain on the scene until police arrive.
If possible, document license numbers or other information of individuals who left the scene. It’s also important to get the badge number of any officers and ask them how to obtain the accident report. Other information to document is road conditions, weather conditions, whether streetlights were turned on and any other relevant information.
The driver should never say they were at fault for the accident. After all information has been gathered, it’s important to consult with an insurance agent and attorney. If a traffic ticket is issued, sign it. Regardless of opinion, the driver should get checked out at a hospital.