The 6 Steps You Should Follow After An Automobile Accident
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
Finding yourself in an automobile accident in St. Petersburg is something no resident or guest wants to experience. Unfortunately, however, accidents happen, and they can even happen to you. Before finding yourself in an accident, it helps to know the steps to take in order to best prepare yourself for fair compensation.In the state of Florida, this will mean potentially going against your own insurance provider to get the settlement you deserve, and the 6 steps you’ll want to take are:
• Assess your injuries – Assessing your injuries should always be your very first move. Maybe some injuries will be obvious, and maybe others will be less-so. A mild concussion might show no signs for a couple of days, while a broken leg or laceration will be obvious straight away. If you find you have serious injuries, do not move and instead wait for emergency responders to arrive. If you don’t believe you’re injured, you can move on to step 2, but you should still be investigated by medical professionals just to make sure.
• Check on your passengers – If you have passengers, you’ll want to check on them and assess their injury status as well. If you find one of your passengers is badly injured, make sure to call 9-1-1 straight away. There is a good chance that more than 1 call will be made in regards to the accident, but this doesn’t mean counting on others to call if your passenger is in need of help.
• Get somewhere safe – After assessing your physical condition, and the physical condition of your passenger or passengers, it’s important to get somewhere safe. If you’re able, get to the side of the road or the sidewalk, and try to get your car there with you if at all possible. In some instances, your car will be stuck in the middle of the road until help arrives, but it’s important to get your physical self away from the site and to a safer place.
• Call the police – If you haven’t called 9-1-1 already, it should be done after getting to safety. You’ll require a police report in order to get your best chance at a fair settlement, and only a police officer will be able to provide this to you. If 9-1-1 has already been called, the police should arrive with emergency personnel to take down your account of the accident as long as you’re able to provide one. If you’re too injured, a report may be made after you’ve recovered enough to provide your account.
• Document what you can – As long as you’re able, you must document everything you can from the accident scene as quickly as possible after the accident has occurred. This will mean taking down witness statements, taking photos of the vehicles, the road, and the weather conditions, and documenting any injuries you’ve suffered.
• Notify your insurance provider – In the state of Florida, you’ll notify your insurance provider to cover the damages stemming from your accident. Regardless of fault, your PIP insurance will be responsible for settling your compensation, but that doesn’t mean your insurance company will be willing to give it up easily. Insurance companies are companies first and foremost, and you may have trouble seeing you claim settled even if you’ve done everything right. If you’ve been in an accident in St. Petersburg or the surrounding area, and you’re looking for representation that will ensure your insurance provider will compensate you fairly, call us at TheStPeteLawyer.com today.