The quickest, most efficient, and most practical way of traveling shorter distances is with the car, bus, or motorcycle. But, with so many vehicles and drivers on the road, accidents are bound to happen. With hundreds of millions of vehicles rushing through traffic across the world, there is always that probability that you might witness or be a part of a car accident. We need to accept this fact that there is a high probability to be in a car crash, so we can deal with such a situation properly.
The most common problem with every car accident is the difficulty to come up with a conclusion and to determine who exactly is at fault. In most car crashes, both of the drivers claim innocence or there is any evidence that can show who is really at fault.
However, sometimes, there are some small details that could help you bring the driver at fault to justice. These tips that I am going to share in this article could save you a lot of money and time. They will help you in determining who really made a mistake and caused the crash.
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1. Start collecting evidence
If you want to prove to your insurance company, to the judge, or to the police officer that you are innocent in this situation, you will probably have to collect some evidence. But, what is evidence in this situation?
Well, the most obvious piece of evidence is the location and positioning of both of the vehicles. Take out your phone and take a couple of photographs to capture the accident. Do not let the other driver try and move his or her vehicle before you take your pictures.
When taking the pictures, make sure you focus on the positioning of the vehicles and the impact. This is probably what can help you prove your innocence. You could also take some pictures of the tire trails that were left behind.
After that, you should start asking around for any witnesses. A witness is the most powerful type of evidence. They can prove your innocence with just one sent. So, make sure to ask around whether anyone saw what actually happened and whether they can report that to the police or in court, if necessary.
You could also ask for a statement from the other driver. Although, most of the time, they will not want to do that.
2. Call the police
This is something that you will need to do before anything else. First ensure that you, your passengers, and the people in the other car are perfectly fine and healthy. If there are some serious injuries, make sure you call for an ambulance first and then call the police. After you have done your duty, then you can start collecting evidence.
This is a very crucial step of the process, simply because you are legally bound to do so. A police officer must come to the scene and take notes about what happened. What the police officer sees will determine the outcome of this entire situation.
3. Be careful about what you say in your statement
After this traumatic event, you most probably feel scared, stressed, or disoriented. At this time, you may not be able to form the most coherent sentences. But, either way, the police officer will ask you for a statement. It will ask you to explain to them what exactly happened.
Even though you are completely innocent, you have to be careful about what you are going to say for this statement, otherwise, you might end up creating even more problems for yourself.
Do not suggest at any moment that you might be at fault for this accident. The officer will write down every single word you say, make sure you are extra careful.
If you do not feel comfortable enough to make a statement, you should also mention that to the police officer. Sit down, drink a little bit of water, and then try and give a true statement.
4. Call a lawyer
Like I already said previously, these situations can be very traumatic and stressful. Even if you have a good idea of what you should be doing after the crash, you might not be able to because you are too stressed. That is why it would be best to call an attorney. A professional that can help you prove your innocence as efficiently as possible.
A lawyer will collect all the necessary evidence and will provide a statement to the officer for you. You do not have to do anything. A lawyer is experienced with collecting every single bit of evidence needed to clear your name as suggested by Larson Law Firm.
5. Look for nearby video surveillance footage
Car accidents can be very complicated and problematic, especially if the driver at fault does not want to admit their mistakes. Proving that you have not done any wrong can be very difficult, especially if there are no witnesses for this case. Your word is the only thing that can help you with your case.
However, there is also one more option that could be the save that you are looking for. With so many stores and offices today having video surveillance systems, there are bound to be some cameras that have caught footage of the collision.
Ask around the local stores to see whether anyone will be willing to provide you with their video footage. After you review all the videos, you might find something that could clear your name and determine who really is at fault.
6. Regularly communicating with your lawyer
If there is any piece of information you have remembered or found that might be of help for the case, I suggest that you tell your lawyer immediately. Whatever it is, it would be best to tell them what you think, instead of hiding. An attorney is legally bound to be confidential about everything between you.
These are the six things you will need to focus on after a car crash if you want to prove that you are not at fault.