—
You have been an excellent driver for many years and the furthest thing from your mind is a car accident. Yet, car crashes can happen to anyone, under a myriad of conditions and always happen when you least expect them. And crashes are unique in the way they can linger. You can suffer injuries that last or present themselves months after the fact. Your car may be damaged or totaled and interrupt the flow of your daily activities.
After The Car Accident: First Steps
Report The Car Accident
Depending on whether there were any injuries, car accidents should be reported to the authorities, either the local police department, the state highway patrol or the county sheriff. However, since these accidents usually involve injuries and substantial property damage, you should call law enforcement, and the officers involved will file a report. Also, an accident report could prove invaluable in helping to establish the liability of the drivers involved.
Call Your Insurance Agent
Once you are involved in a car accident, you will most likely end up making some kind of claim for injury, car damage or both. These claims can usually be resolved by a settlement that you get from the insurance of the person who is at fault.
What Kind Of Damages Can Arise From A Car Accident?
Car accident damages can be economic or non-economic. The first ones include repair or replacement of the damaged cars, medical expenses, lost income, and any out-of-pocket expenses related to the crash. Non-economic damages include emotional distress, pain, disability, and disfigurement.
Are There Any Limits On Damages?
In general terms, California does not have a cap on damages in personal injury or car accident cases. However, there is a time limit of two years for filling a legal case. Additionally, if the driver of the other car does not have insurance, they can’t recover non-economic damages and economic ones are only available if fault can be shown.
Who Will You Be Dealing With In The Case Of A Car Accident?
No matter who is at fault in an accident, you most likely will not be dealing with the other driver but with their insurance company. That is why it is so important to gather as much information as possible immediately after the crash, while you are still at the scene.
Besides finding out the name and insurance company of the other driver, talk to any witnesses and law enforcement officials. Also, take pictures. Of what? Of the location of the accident, the position of each vehicle, the areas of damage in each vehicle and, very importantly, the license plates of each vehicle.
Keep in mind that the insurance company will require a lot of information from you. Having it available will certainly make the claim move faster.
Get The Legal Help You Need
California is a great place to live and it also attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year. It must be because of its spectacular scenery, fabulous weather, great sports and plenty of movie stars. However, traffic is the other side of this nice coin, making car accidents a very common occurrence. If you find yourself in a car crash, call your Orange County Personal Injury Attorney and get the legal help you need to have you back on your feet and on your way.
—
This content is sponsored by Khalid Irfan.
Photo: Shutterstock