What To Do After an Out-of-Town Car Accident
November 22, 2017 – Adam Mann
When you’ve become the victim of a car accident, there’s a great deal of pressure to have everything put together quickly in order to ensure you get the recoveries you deserve.
But when you’re traveling out of town, getting in an accident can be even more complicated, especially since each state has different driving laws to abide by. If you’ve experienced an accident out of town or state, consider the following tips to help ensure your case is set up for success:
Check for injuries and contact the police.
If you are able to, check to see if passengers and the other driver aren’t in need of immediate medical attention right at the scene of the accident. From there, be sure to contact the police and report your accident—this will help ensure all accident information is documented and on file for you.
Take photos of the incident.
If you’re not injured to the point of hospitalization, try to get your own photos of the incident. If you’re traveling out of state, it might be helpful to take photos of signage (speed limits, yield signs or other traffic signals) to have at your disposal in case you need to take your case to trial.
If you’re able to, move your vehicles out of oncoming traffic.
If your accident has blocked traffic, be sure to move it safely from out of the road. If it is unsafe to move it in any capacity, wait for authorities to come and make that decision for you.
Do not admit fault.
Regardless of whether you believe you are at fault or not, do not admit fault at the accident scene. Out-of-state travelers might not know of certain driving laws that are implemented in that state versus their own—which could result in partial fault, different settlement amounts or other changes to the case based on those factors.
Get information from other drivers involved.
Again, if you and the other driver aren’t injured to the point of hospitalization, gather important contact and driver information from each other to ensure you have what you need to present to your attorney, insurance company and authorities. Although the police will likely collect this for you, it’s important to have your own documentation in the event that you have an accident case that needs to be taken to court.
Get a medical examination.
In Florida, drivers must have something called PIP coverage, which stands for personal injury protection, and is a type of no-fault insurance coverage that pays for medical expenses and any lost wages that incur as a result of an auto accident in the state. Even if you feel you weren’t injured from the accident, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention within 14 days of the accident, as symptoms of an injury may not present themselves right away, and may take a couple of days to notice.
Although it’s certainly important to know these tips in order to best prepare for a car accident, it’s also important to know who to contact for questions you need answers to—and fast. That’s where Cohen and Cohen Law can help. Our team of highly skilled and experienced attorneys are here to assist with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your accident.
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