As you take a short drive to town on a sunny day, life may feel good. However, your trip may quickly take a turn for the worst if another motorist strikes your car unexpectedly. All of a sudden, your short drive on a sunny day may turn into a long, gloomy ordeal.
Sometimes, these types of motor vehicle accidents in Louisiana occur due to the carelessness of another driver. A few tips may help you to protect your own best interests following a car crash.
First steps
Immediately following a motor vehicle collision, staying at the crash scene is paramount. If you try to leave the scene in an effort to seek help from police, for instance, you may end up facing some severe criminal penalties if the crash involved an injury or death.
Besides staying at the collision scene, checking on the other driver who reportedly caused your accident, as well as any car passengers involved is critical. Then, you can get in touch with police so that they can file a report on the accident for you. Getting the responding officer’s name and badge number may prove beneficial down the road as well.
Next steps
Before leaving the collision scene, exchanging information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and automobile insurance information is important. Being cordial can be helpful, but admitting guilt either unnecessarily or unintentionally can be a mistake. For instance, perhaps you are trying to be nice by apologizing for not seeing a red light. You may actually be admitting liability for the accident by making such a statement even if you do not mean to do so.
Additional steps
Keeping track of your medical expenses related to the car crash may also be expedient. You can also makes notes of how the accident has negatively affected your ability to lead a normal life — for instance, perhaps your injuries prevented you from being able to return to work for an extended period of time.
Unfortunately, a serious collision stemming from another driver’s negligence can leave you with financial challenges and both physical and emotional scars. However, it is within your rights to seek justice following your car accident, and a successfully litigated civil claim could result in a monetary award that could help you to better cope with your losses.