Travel forms part of the digital nomad life and is an enjoyable way to relieve yourself from the stress of your daily routine. However, it can be unfortunate if you encounter mishaps such as car accidents when you travel.
Rest assured that there are specific steps you can take to get back on track even when these unfortunate incidents happen. This article outlines what to do after a car accident while travelling, whether in your car or a rental car.
Seek Medical Attention
One of the primary things you need to do after a car accident while travelling is to seek proper medical attention, no matter how minor your injuries may seem.
Remember that there are specific injuries that don’t manifest immediately. Rather, these can take days or even weeks before showing their symptoms.
With immediate medical assistance administered by emergency responders, you will have an initial record of your injuries that can be the basis of your follow-up checkups with specialists.
For instance, a physical therapist may require you to undergo therapy on one of your follow-up checkups. Often, car accident physical therapy sessions can be covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance provider but this can depend on various factors.
Conversely, if you are identified as the t-fault party for the incident, you may need to shoulder all your medical expenses. In any case, you need to have yourself checked for you to recover from the injuries you sustained from the incident properly.
Call the Authorities
Another thing you need to do after being involved in a car accident while travelling is to call the authorities.
Sometimes, if there is no prominent damage on the vehicles and nobody is significantly injured, the accident is no longer reported to the police.
However, the disadvantage is that there will be no proper accident record. Without any record of the incident and suddenly experiencing the symptoms of your injuries or discovering damage in your vehicle, it can be more challenging to file a claim to cover the expenses necessary for your recovery and restore your car to its road-worthy condition.
With a police report regarding the incident, you will have a record of the accident, including details such as the potential root cause.
Gather Sufficient Evidence
Next, ensure that you gather sufficient evidence surrounding the incident. This means keeping all your medical records from when emergency responders looked at you until your follow-up checkups.
Aside from your medical records, you must keep a copy of all the medical receipts for possible reimbursement. You also need to secure a copy of the police report conducted by the authorities.
This will form part of the evidence to substantiate your claim or case later. Aside from these documents, it will also help if you take photos of the scene when the accident happened.
These photos can show the extent of your injuries right after the mishap, as well as the overall state of your vehicle. It can also show the road and weather conditions during that day, which may have contributed to the accident.
Ensure you exchange information with the other party, gathering their contact details so you can get in touch whenever necessary.
You can also get their contact details if some witnesses saw the incident first-hand. This way, you can call them if you need to take your case to court, and you need their statements to corroborate your claim further.
While most car accident cases can be resolved through proper settlement, there are instances wherein the cases need to be escalated to court proceedings to ensure that justice is served.
Notify Insurance
You will also need to notify your insurance provider of the accident as soon as possible. Ensure that you provide them with factual information regarding the details of what happened.
However, you must be cautious about communicating with any insurance provider. This is because you might say specific phrases that they deem as an admission of fault, rendering your claim ineligible.
They may also try to downplay your injuries so they only need to settle a meager amount to cover your expenses. Hence, before you agree to any settlement amount offered, it is better to seek the advice of a lawyer.
In either instance, letting a legal advocate handle communications with any insurance provider is a good idea. This way, they will be able to ensure that you get just compensation for the injuries you sustained.
Contact a Lawyer
Following a car accident while travelling, the best choice you can make is to consult a lawyer. It is best to reach out to a lawyer practising within the jurisdiction of the accident.
This is because they will know the intricacies of the regulations implemented in the area where the mishap occurred.
You should also seek the services of a lawyer specializing in personal injury law, where car accident claims are often categorized.
This way, you will be guaranteed that they know the nuances of personal injury cases.
With a legal advocate by your side, you will have peace of mind knowing that your claim will be handled by a professional who will ensure you get fairly compensated.
From there, you will be able to focus on your recovery.
Keep an Open Mind
Finally, always keep an open mind, particularly when encountering a road mishap while travelling. When you are injured, you need to focus on your recovery, which can be difficult if you are financially challenged.
While you can always claim from insurance providers, the process may take longer than when you agree to a settlement with the other party.
Regarding the latter, you must ensure you are still adequately compensated so you will have enough to continue your treatments for the injuries you sustained.
When encountering an unfortunate road mishap while travelling, seek medical attention and inform the authorities.
You should also exert the effort to gather sufficient evidence and notify your insurance company. If necessary, consult a lawyer, but always keep an open mind for the best resolution.
Rest assured that you will be able to come out of this situation victorious and be back on your feet in no time.
