Imagine that you are traveling on Interstate 81, heading home from a nice visit to family. You get to exit the freeway, when all of a sudden someone ahead of you cuts ahead of you, trying not to miss the exit. You honk your horn to let them know that you are there, but they keep coming across the lanes and end up sideswiping you. From the driver’s shady looks, you think it’s a good possibility that the person that just hit you doesn’t have insurance. What do you do? Here’s a list of the steps that you should take to make sure that you can get the proper compensation for your damages, and properly take care of the situation.
What To Do On The Scene Of The Collision
1. Make Sure Everyone Is Okay
Obviously, the most important consideration is the safety of everyone involved. Make sure that everyone in your car is okay, and that you are out of the way of oncoming traffic. Call emergency medical services if anyone is complaining of pain or a potential injury. It is much better to be safe than sorry. Even if it is just a minor back or neck ache, it is best to get checked out, and make sure that any injury is treated before it gets worse.
2. Call The Police
Even if it seems like a minor accident or there is not much visible damage, it is still important to have the police there. The police will be able to secure the scene and keep other motorists away from the accident, and will be able to make a police report for your collision. The police report can be used as evidence later on to prove key details of the incident, and can help show who was at fault.
3. Document Everything
This is a step that many people neglect when hit by another driver, especially one that is uninsured. By taking pictures and videos of the scene, while also getting information from the other drivers like names, phone numbers, license plates, addresses, etc. Also make sure that you have time, place, location, and the make and model of the cars involved written down somewhere. Having a dashcam can be very helpful in this situation. All of this information will help you later on in the process of getting you the money you deserve to cover your damages.
4. Don’t Accept Cash From An Uninsured Driver
A driver that does not have insurance coverage may try to resolve the issue by giving you a sum of cash to settle the incident, and pretend that nothing happened. While this may seem like a quick way to resolve the incident, accepting it is a bad idea. Not only are you likely getting less money than you would need to cover the damages, but this allows the uninsured driver to get away without facing the legal consequences of driving uninsured. It is much better to play the long game, and go through the process to make sure you get the compensation that you deserve.
File A Claim With Your Insurance Provider After The Accident Is Over
Once everything at the scene of the accident is settled and you finally get home from your long day, or once you are released from the hospital if the crash was more severe, there are a few more things that you need to do to make sure that you get paid what you deserve.
As soon as you can, you should reach out to your insurance company and tell them what happened. Many companies have their own timelines on when you have to file a claim, but it is much better to do it sooner. Your insurance company will be able to review the information about your crash (this is where the pictures, dashcam recordings, and information that you got from the scene come in handy).
If you have uninsured motorist coverage, your insurance company will be able to help you out with recovering the money you need to cover your medical bills or vehicle repairs/replacement. You may end up having to pay a deductible, but you still will be able to get most of the expenses covered.
If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, getting your money back is possible, but it could be a longer process. You may have to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver, which can become expensive. You will have to prove in court that the other driver is responsible, and convince a judge to award you the proper damages. For this, you will want to hire a lawyer who specializes in uninsured motorist collisions.
Looking For Uninsured Motorist Coverage? Strickler Insurance Can Help
Uninsured motorist coverage allows you to quickly get rewarded in the event of an accident by an uninsured driver, saving you from the time and hassle of a lawsuit. The team at Strickler insurance can help you find an auto insurance policy with the coverage that you need to be assured that you won’t be left with a huge repair or medical bill after a collision. Contact Stricker Insurance to see how we can help you today.
