What To Do After A Car Accident That's Not Your Fault

Important Note: Do not admit guilt or say you are sorry during the entire process after the accident. Whether you are talking to the police, the other driver or passengers, remember not to admit fault.

1. Get yourself to safety – Immediately after the accident occurs, make sure to get yourself and any of your passengers to safety right away. Get out of the vehicle and move away from any traffic flow by going onto sidewalks, shoulders, or any available space that is out of the way of danger from passing cars. If you can turn your hazard lights on in your vehicle, this can help other drivers see your stopped car and avoid hitting your vehicle. It could take a while to clear the roadway of your vehicle and debris so stay in a safe place the entire time to avoid any further injuries.
2. Notify the police – The police will need to investigate the accident if there were any injuries. If there are no injuries the police department may not come to the scene depending on how busy they are or if they have any free officers in the area. This has been more common since the COVID-19 pandemic.  If you can, try to insist that an officer come to the scene, but even if you are persistent, they may not.  You will likely be encouraged to file a cold report on their website.  If you are given this opportunity, do not neglect to file the report.  Be sure to get the name, address, telephone number, and insurance policy number of the other drivers involved because this information will be critical to your ability to recover for your damages later. Rural areas have a much harder time getting police response for car accidents where injuries are not immediately apparent. When the police get to the scene they will start their investigation of what happened, who was at fault, if any laws were broken, work up a police report, etc. Remember no to admit fault when speaking with the officers about the incident, it may be hard to do, but try your best so you have a better case if you have to go to court over the accident.

3. Exchange insurance information – You will need to get the other driver’s license plate number, vehicle make and model, their insurance information and the driver’s name and address. Have your information ready as well to provide the other driver with. The insurance companies will have to contact each other as well to handle the claim so make sure you always have your current insurance information on hand.
4. Gather evidence – At this time, go ahead and take pictures of the entire accident scene. Get wide view angles of the scene so it is clear what happened and where. Video of the entire scene is also a good idea. Make sure to show skid marks, damages, the impact spots, injury photos and document any areas that show the at-fault driver had broken the law such as traffic signals, speed limits, yield signs, solid lines they crossed, etc. If there were any eye-witnesses to the accident ask them for their contact information or have them stick around and give their statement of the event to the police. All of this information will help your attorney build a solid case to prove you weren’t at fault and get you a better settlement from the insurance company.
5. Get checked by a medical professional – If paramedics come to the scene, they will check you for injuries. It is always advised to also go to the doctor and have a thorough check-up done to ensure you don’t have any bone fractures, whiplash, spinal issues or internal bleeding that you may not notice due to shock from the incident. If injuries go unnoticed and pop up at a later date without any previous evidence, it can be much harder to recover damages and have the insurance company pay for those medical bills. Make sure you get proper medical care, not only for your case but for your overall health as well. Often times the adrenaline associated with the accident will cause you to overlook symptoms of pain.  These can worsen over the next few days, or even more immediately in a serious injury as the adrenaline wears off.  Listen to your body and make sure to get the treatment you feel is necessary.  
6. Contact your insurance company – Now it’s time to contact your insurance company and notify them you were in an auto accident. Give them the details and provide whatever evidence you were able to come up with. Make sure to ask about what they cover for you, including rental cars, deductibles, fixing your car and more. This way you have an idea of what the process will look like for your transportation situation in the days after the accident.
7. Contact a lawyer – Now you need to speak with a lawyer about your case to see if there is a valid case for settlement outside of the normal insurance dealings. Many times the insurance company won’t pay full amounts, won’t cover medical bills or rentals or many other things that could end up leaving you with a large bill to be paid on your own. An experienced car accident attorney can help make sure you are receiving full compensation for any injuries, property damages or vehicle damages that you may have sustained. Make sure you choose a law firm with decades of experience fighting insurance companies because that knowledge can equate to much bigger settlements and a much faster recovery for yourself.