What to Do in a No-Injury Crash
Vehicle collisions often result in significant injuries, but there are also times when a crash does not result in any immediately obvious injury. Low-impact collisions are common, but there are still steps that individuals need to take after a no-injury crash occurs.
1. Make Sure You Are Okay
First, it is important to never assume that there are no injuries after an incident, even if there are no obvious signs or symptoms right away. Sometimes, the signs and symptoms of vehicle crash injuries do not appear until hours or days after the initial impact. At the scene of an incident, check for any noticeable injuries, but understand that you may need to go to the doctor or emergency room if you begin to experience discomfort or worse signs and symptoms later.
2. Get to a Safe Location and Call 911
Even with a no-injury crash, individuals need to report the incident to law enforcement authorities. As we just mentioned, there may be injuries that appear later on, and it will be crucial to have an accident report when filing an injury claim. However, no-injury crashes often result in property damage, and those involved will still need an accident report in order to move forward with an insurance claim.
3. Document the Accident Scene
Our Sacramento car accident attorneys encourage all vehicle accident victims to thoroughly document the scene of the incident if they are able to. This could include using a phone to take photographs of any vehicle damage, the area surrounding the incident, license plate numbers, contact information of others, and more. If there were any eyewitnesses to the incident, their names and contact information should be obtained so they could be contacted later on to give statements if needed.
4. Exchange Information With Others
At the site of a no-injury accident, those involved will need to exchange various types of information with one another. This includes the following:
- Name and contact information, including full name and phone numbers
- Driver’s license numbers
- Insurance information, including the insurance company and policy number
- Vehicle information such as the make, model, color, and type of vehicle
5. Call Your Insurance Carrier
Insurance carriers have fairly strict reporting deadlines, so we encourage you to report a no-injury crash to your carrier promptly. You do not need to go into much detail when you make your initial report, and you will likely be able to do so online or through your insurance carrier’s app.
6. Compensation After the Crash
Just because there were no injuries after a vehicle accident does not mean the case will be straightforward: property damage can still be extensive and result in time away from work. It is not uncommon for insurance carriers to push back against property damage claims in these situations.
If you work with a skilled car accident lawyer who has experience handling no-injury incidents, you will have an advocate ready to assist in recovering compensation for any damaged property. This includes not only the vehicle property damage but also any property damaged in the vehicle, such as computers, phones, sunglasses, etc.
We encourage you to reach out to an attorney for a free consultation if you think you are going to have trouble recovering the compensation you are entitled to after a no-injury accident.