The effects of a car accident can be devastating even when the accident was deemed minor. As a car accident victim, especially a minor accident with no major injuries or death, you may face several difficulties claiming compensation from your insurance provider. Minor injuries might result in unexpected medical bills and even loss of wages. Because accidents can occur at any time, you must know how to handle the situation if you ever find yourself in such a situation.
Actions to Take after Getting into a Minor Car Accident
A minor accident may not leave your car damaged or leave you with significant injuries. You may still be able to move your vehicle to a safe place from the accident scene and away from heavy traffic. However, only move it to the side of the road and keep the hazard lights on.
Once you do that, proceed to do the following:
- Call 911 so that emergency personnel can come to the scene of the accident. Medical personnel will treat anyone with injuries, while law enforcement will write a police report. Ensure you get the police report, as it will help you make claims with your insurance company afterward. It may also help you if you decide to take legal action.
- If an ambulance doesn’t show up, check into the nearest hospital for a medical checkup. Even when you are feeling okay, you still need to ensure you get checked in case of some injuries that do not show.
- Take videos and photos of the scene of the accident to ensure that you are all set with the evidence to prove that you were not at fault. These photos and videos will bolster your insurance claim. When taking the photos, look for anything that will help you make a claim or win a case against the other driver if it comes to that. For minor accidents, it doesn’t have to go to that, but it is safe to collect evidence. Capture any trees near the scene and the environment, the weather, guardrail damages, skid marks, the road (especially if there are damages on the road), and any other details you think would be relevant if you ever went to court.
- Collect witness and driver details – When you make claims with your insurance provider, the adjuster might request that you provide contact details of witnesses and the other driver. If you were not at fault, you need witnesses who can back you up. You can give the details of the witnesses to the police to allow for a thorough investigation.
- Collect the insurance details of the other driver. However, do not share or discuss the accident with the other driver as you wait for the police.
Actions to Avoid
Even after a minor accident, there are always conflicts. You will have to prove to the insurance company that there was an accident, and you have to prove to law enforcement that you were not at fault. To be on the safe side, avoid the following:
- Do not admit to being at fault even when you feel like you did something that caused the minor accident. Usually, there might be other factors at play, such as poor road condition, negligence of the other driver, bad weather, vehicle mechanical damages, and so much more. Allow the investigations to show the real cause of the accident.
- Do not flee the scene of the accident. If you leave the scene, the other driver might charge you with hit and run under the laws of New York. You are required to stay near the scene of the accident and relax until the police arrive.
- Do not hide any details from the police. There are many cases where people involved in a minor accident avoid calling the police. However, it is important that the police evaluate and document everything from the scene of the accident. This way, you will have a paper trail if you ever have to go to court at a later date. Police reports will show moving violations and driver infractions, among other details you need in a legal case.
- Avoid discussing the case with other people other than the police, medical professionals, and your attorney. You can collect contact details from the other driver and the witnesses, but let your lawyer handle any other conversations and negotiations.
Understanding the No-Fault Insurance Program
You also need to call your insurance and claim compensation whether you were at fault or not since New York is one of the states with the no-fault insurance program. If you suffer an extensive injury that the no-fault insurance program doesn’t cover, you can seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance.
The New York Statute of Limitations
In case you are involved in a minor accident, and the injuries are not immediately visible, the statute of limitations protects you if symptoms of an injury show up sometimes later. For a car accident, the statute of limitations is three years.
Call a Car Accident Doctor
Even after a minor car accident, there can be injuries that need to be addressed. Contact our car accident doctors and get your treatment plan and documentation.