Individuals who are involved in a car accident should seek the advice of a lawyer during accidents. Why is it so? To know how they will be compensated for damages or how the liable party should be held accountable for the road mishap.

In case of a road accident, make sure to immediately inform the authorities (e.g. state trooper office and highway patrol) so they can document what really happened in the incident. It is also important to report the incident to the car insurance company which can cover the expenses for the injured person and damaged vehicle.

For those involved in road mishaps, they should follow this simple procedure:

• It is important to immediately call 911 (or other help hotline) when there is a road accident. The caller should inform the hotline if there is a person who is hurt in the mishap so it can send not just police authorities but also paramedics to provide proper medical assistance to the victim/s.

• Make sure to get relevant details about the other driver: these include his/her complete name, contact numbers (mobile phone, landline, or email), exact address, information about his/her insurance provider, drive’s license, and his/her car’s plate number.

• If possible, a person involved in the accident should provide a written account which provides details on how things transpired before the accident. This includes the traffic information, the witnesses involved (with their names and contact details), direction and speed of the other driver, the time of the accident, and other relevant details. To have stronger evidence, a person can also take a picture of the wreck, the vehicles involved in the mishap, and the injuries he/she acquired because of the accident.

• Ask people if they can be a witness to the accident. In case there will be a court proceeding, the witness can prove who the victim is and who is the liable for the accident.

• Seek a legal advice from car accident attorneys who specialize in car accidents to file charges against the other driver or seek compensation from the liable parties.

Car accidents in the US

According to a recent survey, car accidents resulted to more than 42,000 deaths and nearly 2.8 million personal injuries in 2004. With this statistics, experts believe that car accident is one of the leading causes of deaths and injuries of Americans below the age of 35. On the other hand, road mishap not only results to loss of lives, but also loss of properties. Every year, car accidents cost more than $150 billion in the US.

Because car accidents are often costly, it is important for individuals to get auto and health insurance to cover future expenses that will be incurred in accidents . On the other hand, people should immediately report the car accident to their respective insurance company to receive indemnity.

Meanwhile, some people have a notion that if they are responsible in driving, they can avoid road accidents and other mishap. In this belief, they may be right, but they still have to consider that there are other individuals who are reckless drivers.