We cannot predict what will happen on the road; accidents are inevitable and it’s always something beyond terrible to put into words, especially if it’s abroad and in an unknown environment. It can get scary, and most people might panic. But remember that most handling procedures will be similar, but with some notable differences.
So, we’ve come up with 5 important things to do if you ever get involved in a car accident abroad.
1. Your Physical Safety and The Safety of Others
This cannot be stressed enough because plenty of people fail to realize that their health is the most important thing to check on after an accident. The first thing you should do is assess the situation and look around, check to see if you are injured or badly hurt and check on others involved in the accident. This information is important for your attorney later when you’re building your case. Every country and even different states have laws that may differ. In the US, for example, if you are holidaying in Hawaii and get involved in an accident, then you have to get in touch with a local lawyer that specializes in this field. The lawyers and personal injury attorneys at https://www.recoverylawcenterhawaii.com/car-accident-lawyer/ can assist you with physical, financial, and emotional compensation, but it’s better if you get immediate medical attention. This part will be important later and can help your case. Doctors can write reports on the injuries and official medical bills will be received; they will be used later by your lawyer when you file for an insurance claim.
2. Call the Authorities
If they haven’t been alerted yet, you should try and get in touch with the local law enforcement in the country you’re in because they have to make their own assessment of the situation. They will start asking questions, but you shouldn’t be scared, just show them your passport and tell them that you’re a foreigner. They will help you and start investigating the crash site, writing up an official report of what exactly happened and whose fault it was. They will probably ask about your rented car and if it has insurance, so remember to give them all the information they need. Remember to keep any documents given to you by the police and remember the officer’s name or badge number; this will be very helpful later and your lawyer will need it.
3. Gather Every Detail
This is extremely important, even though you might be in shock physically or emotionally hurt, you need to find a way to document everything that transpired. Remember to write down license plate numbers, the date and time of the accident, the address of the crash site, people’s names, information from witnesses who saw the crash, and preferably get the contact information of any eye witness you could find. Some people might write a statement with the help of the police stating the circumstances of the accident, agreeing with their assessment and understanding what the ramifications are to the person at fault. But that doesn’t happen all the time, so remember to get any evidence you could get your hands on for your lawyers and the insurance company.
4. Contact the Insurance Company
When you’re traveling abroad, you’d probably be renting a vehicle there; most of the rental agreements have insurance and emergency numbers in case of an accident. You should report the damaged car and tell them everything that happened. You might need to visit their office on the same day in most cases, but that depends on your physical health. They will have a set of steps needed to carry out the process, so you don’t have to pay a lot of money because of the accident, especially if it wasn’t your fault.
5. File for a Claim
If you are lucky, both parties can agree on what should happen and both their respective insurance companies can come up with a deal that can compensate for everything. But when that doesn’t happen, then your lawyer will probably advise you to file for a claim because you didn’t get the compensation you deserve. This can be tricky overseas, but with the right legal team behind your back, you will be guided through the process and you might not even go to court if your attorney can come up with a deal with the company.
Even though it can be difficult, you need to do everything in your power to minimize the stress that comes with this horrible ordeal by following these important steps. You need to be sure of your own safety and be prepared to quickly handle everything, whether its evidence gathering, insurance, medical assistance, and help from authorities. Remember to keep all your bases covered and you can get out of this situation accordingly and hopefully return home in one piece.
