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Four Things You Need to Do After a Car Accident to Protect Your Personal Injury Claim

Car accidents are one of the most common incidents behind personal injury claims; if damage was caused to you or your property as a result or another driver's negligence, you might be able to claim compensation. That said, it's easy to fail to take the correct steps at the time of the accident. Here are just four things that you should do.

1. Don't Accept Any Responsibility

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to accidentally accept partial responsibility for an accident, but this can come back to haunt you later on when you need to make a case. You probably won't come right out and say the accident was your fault, but even a simple 'sorry' can be interpreted that way. All you need to do with the other driver is swap insurance information and contact details.

2. Photograph the Damage

What many people don't understand about legitimate personal injury claims is that it doesn't matter how traumatised you feel or if something could have happened. If a drunk driver bumps your car but doesn't actually cause any damage to you or the vehicle, it's very hard to make a case. A successful case depends on both negligence on their part and damage to you or your property. This is why it's so important to have photographic evidence. Luckily, most people now carry smartphones with inbuilt cameras, so, if you are able, make sure you photograph the damage right away, preferably before and after the other cars are moved.

3. Speak to Passersby

Damage can be proven by photographs, but you'll also have to show that an accident was down to negligence on the part of the other driver. If you sustained whiplash but you can't prove it was the other driver's fault, you might not have a case. That's why one of the best things to do is speak to any onlookers. Just ask for their contact details to make sure they can provide testimony on your behalf later on.

4. Call Emergency Services

Not many people understand that you should always contact the police after an accident has taken place so they can make a report, which is unfortunate since police reports can help with your case. Police can monitor the situation and provide their own report on what likely happened. If the other driver was intoxicated in any way, they can test them and then provide actual evidence for a claim. Don't ever be dissuaded from calling the police by the other driver. Additionally, any damage to your person should merit a call to emergency medical services.


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