Imagine you’re on your regular morning commute to work. As usual, you follow the same route, stop at the same coffee shop for your morning cup-a-joe and even get caught at the same traffic light. Unfortunately, while you stopped at that pesky light, the car behind you did not. Now, you have to deal with paying some unexpected medical bills, fixing your car and being out of work for at least a week.
You may be wondering what you should do after a car accident that is not your fault. Should you just wait to hear from the other driver’s insurance company? Should you call your insurance company?
Get information
While it is the other driver’s responsibility to report the accident to their car insurance company, it is still a good idea to call that insurer yourself. Many drivers do not want to report an accident to their insurer, especially when it is their fault. This is why you should take the initiative to report the accident and get the claim process started as soon as possible.
However, in order to do this, you will need certain information. If possible, while you are still at the scene of the accident, you should get the other driver’s full name, phone number, insurance information and the make, model and license plate of their car. Also, get witness statements and contact information, and try to take pictures of the accident scene.
Report the accident
Not only should you contact the at-fault driver’s insurer, you should also contact your own insurance company to report the accident. You need to do this in case the other driver’s car insurance company disputes your claim. It is important to remember that while the police report might indicate which driver was at fault, the insurance companies may see it differently.
Look over your policy
You should also take the time to go over your own insurance policy and read the fine print. Even if a car accident is not your fault, you should understand what kind of obligations your own insurer owes you. This will come in handy if the other driver’s insurance decides to deny your claim.
If you have suffered an injury due to the actions of a negligent driver, you may be able to take legal action. Even if the at-fault driver’s insurance denies your claim – or offers you a lowball settlement – you may still have options available to get the compensation you deserve. Consulting with an attorney before accepting an insurance company’s offer can be an important first step.