Auto wrecks happen to many people. In fact, most Richmond residents will deal with a car accident at some point in their lives. The accident itself is scary and overwhelming, but is over quickly. The aftermath can be frustrating, and it can take time to get your life back together.
It’s tempting to throw in the towel and just call the car accident a loss. However, you might be able to recover compensation for your accident. If someone else caused your accident, you shouldn’t have to pay for the losses you’ve sustained.
The thought of filing a car crash claim might be intimidating for you. In fact, many people choose to partner with a Richmond car accident attorney for help handling their car accident claims. You may feel a little better about starting on a claim if you know what comes next.
The Basic Steps to Dealing with a Car Crash in Richmond
Following your accident, you might need a checklist for how to deal with your car crash’s aftermath. Here are some basic steps to follow when you’ve been in a vehicle collision in Richmond.
Get Medical Help
The first step may seem obvious, but you might be surprised at how many people refuse to seek medical attention after their accident. They are afraid they will be hit with an enormous hospital bill, and who can blame them? Many insurance policies don’t offer great emergency medical care packages.
However, you should never avoid getting medical help when you need it. The alternative just isn’t worth it. Getting medical care can also help your car crash claim. It creates a paper trail from your crash to the hospital or doctor’s office.
Collect Evidence
The second step to take after you’ve been in a car wreck is to document everything and gather as much evidence as you can. Write it all down, because it might be helpful to proving your claim later. Collect evidence, such as witness statements, police or crash reports, photos, and other evidence that could be used to prove your claim.
Keep all medical records, because those records are evidence, too. They show how you were injured, and they show the expenses you were forced to pay because of a crash caused by someone else.
Put Together Your Crash Claim
Next, you need to put your claim together. You should collect all of your evidence and put it together with your actual claim documents. Then, you will submit your claim with the at-fault person’s insurance company. This could be an at-fault driver’s insurer, or it could be the insurer of another negligent party that caused your accident.
The insurance company can either settle your claim or you could go to court.
Go to Court
In rare cases, car crash claims go to court. This is where you would prove that you are owed financial compensation because someone other than yourself caused your vehicle collision. Most claims are settled out of court in the previous step.
Now You Know
See, that wasn’t so bad. Now you know how to handle a Richmond vehicle crash claim. Remember, you can get assistance from an attorney if you need to.
