What should you do after a car accident in Ontario?
If you were recently involved in a traffic accident, there are essential steps you must take to ensure the other drivers and passengers are safe. These steps can also ensure that you gather the right pieces of evidence (whenever possible) and avoid making mistakes that could derail your personal injury claim. Here is what you should do if you were recently involved in a car accident.
1. Stay calm
First, take a deep breath, and stay calm. Focus on what happened. Unless you’re calm, you are likely to make mistakes that you might regret later. Keep in mind that you could face criminal charges if you don’t stop your car and park it safely (if that’s possible). Turn on the four-way lights (also known as flashlights) – you can also set up road flares.
2. Call the police
No matter who is at fault for the accident, the faster police or emergency responders come to the accident scene, the better the chance of survival for the drivers or passengers who may have sustained injuries. https://www.yegendorflawfirm.ca advises that you remain calm so that you can clearly state where the accident happened, whether or not there are injured people, and effectively respond to the questions that the police may ask.
3. Gather information
Use your phone camera to take photos if it is safe to do so. Ideally, you have not moved your vehicle. Check the pictures of the initial position of your car in relation to the other vehicles involved in the accident. These photos will be very useful in determining who was at fault for the incident.
You can also use your phone’s voice recorder app or note-taking app to describe what happened immediately before the accident, during, and after the crash. Some of the details you should focus on include the date & time of the incident, weather conditions, estimated speed, road conditions, a description of what happened immediately, during, and before the accident, and probably a diagram showing the final position of each vehicle after the accident.
It is important that you get these details while they are fresh and before talking to other people who might influence your statement. In this case, you must be as honest as possible. Avoid statements that could imply an admission of fault before you talk to your lawyer.
3. Notify your insurance provider
Your insurance is there to help you. Whether you opt to file an accident benefits claim or ignore it, it’s still up to you. Keep in mind that you will be required to submit a report within seven days, but it is recommended to do so within 24 hours. Failure to submit that report may be sufficient grounds for your insurer to deny your accident benefits claim.
4. Consult with a lawyer
If you have been involved in an accident, try to stay calm and work with your insurer to get compensated for injuries or other relevant damages. However, the process of pursuing compensation is not as easy as people think. It is in your best interest to consult with an experienced lawyer who can represent your interests and fight for your rights.