Things You Should Do if You Get Into a Car Accident in Arkansas

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Things You Should Do if You Get Into a Car Accident in Arkansas

Getting into a car accident can be stressful. You might have suffered injuries, and your car might be so damaged that you can’t drive it anymore. It can be hard to know what to do if you have never been in a car accident before. Many people forget some of the most important steps to take right after a car accident simply because they didn’t know what to do.

Arkansas car accidents are more common than you think. There are plenty of people on the road today who drive distracted, intoxicated, or simply don’t value the well-being of others. You need to know what to do if you have been in a car accident so that you can seek a fair settlement and get back on your feet as soon as possible.

Things to do if You Get Into a Car Accident in Arkansas

Getting into a car accident can disrupt your entire life. No one can blame you for being distracted and scared during and after an accident, but the more of these steps that you complete after your accident, the better your experience will be with filing a claim or seeking a settlement.

1.     Get The Other Driver’s Information

Always be sure that you get the other driver’s information. If there are multiple people involved, you need to get all of their information as well. If you don’t have the ability to make the rounds and get everyone’s insurance information and contact information, you should call the police and have them come take care of making a report. This can be a good idea in any case, no matter how minor you think your accident was. Having all the information for the insurance companies of the other drivers involved in the accident and their names can make a big impact on your ability to seek compensation.

2.     Call the Police

As mentioned above, a police report can make a big difference when it comes time to open up your claim or if you need to go to court as a result of your accident. The police will create an accurate and impartial report that can be used by your legal team as well as insurance companies to determine fault and figure out the details of the accident. Arkansas is an at-fault state, which means that knowing the intricacies of how the accident happened is important.

If you are not at fault, the police report will show this quite clearly, and you will be much more likely to get the full payout that is possible for your injuries and property damage.

3.     Never Admit Fault

While it can be tempting to talk to the other drivers and hash out what happened, don’t do this. Don’t say anything about what you think happened or what you think you did in the accident to anyone. Don’t even say that you were at fault to the police because they will have to record your statement in their report.

This is important for a few reasons. First of all, there is so much going on during an accident that your memory of the accident might be inaccurate. Second, if you are found at fault, you will bear more of the burden of the cost of the accident than if you were not at fault. If you did not truly cause the accident, saying that you caused the accident means that you will immediately be held responsible for the accident, whether you actually caused it or not.

4.     Take Pictures

If you are not injured, you should take the time to take pictures of the accident scene, the cars involved in the accident, and anything else that you think is relevant to your accident. Photo evidence can be a big help if you are seeking a settlement, and it can also exonerate you if you are worried about being held accountable for the accident when you didn’t do anything wrong.

Taking pictures doesn’t take long and can save you a lot of headaches down the road, and it’s worth doing this, even if your accident was a simple fender bender.

5.     Reach Out to a Lawyer

One of the most important things that you should do after an accident is to get a lawyer. Your lawyer will help you provide the right information for your auto insurance claim, and if the accident was complicated or involved lots of people, they will work with the other insurance companies involved in the accident to piece together what happened and correctly determine fault.

A legal professional acting on your behalf is also a ton of help if you need to go to court to seek a settlement. While you might not think that you will end up in court after a car accident, you might be surprised at just how often this happens. Getting a settlement offer that you cannot accept or ending up in a dispute over fault can lead to an expensive court wrangle that will necessitate having a lawyer on your side.

Knowing What to do After a Car Accident is Important

This list of tips about what to do after your car accident is important to understand and be familiar with. You probably won’t be thinking very clearly after an accident, but you will probably remember at least a few of the details in this list. Above all else, you need to be sure that you never admit fault and that you get contact information and insurance details from anyone else involved in the accident.

Seeking legal guidance is key for most people as well. There are so many reasons that you shouldn’t go it alone when navigating the claims process or seeking a settlement. Your lawyer has the years of experience that you need access to after a car accident. Minus the smallest of fender benders, you will almost always need expert help with your car accident claim and settlement process.