Nearly all of us like to think of ourselves as ‘good drivers’. Maybe you only got into a slow speed fender bender, or backed into something, or got pulled over for speeding (“I was only going 5 over, officer”) years ago. But it’s not your skill that you have to worry about as much as it’s often the other drivers. The unpredictability of others skill and attention level, road conditions, and random circumstance, mean that things can happen no matter how good of a driver you are. There are a few things you can do to insure the safety of yourself and passengers, such as making sure to wear a seatbelt, that car seats are properly secured, and that all your lights shine bright, taking care of things on your end is the best you can do!
When you do get into an accident they tell you to call the police, make sure you are in a safe area and exchange insurance information. Your next move is to get in touch with an auto shop to go over the damages, talk to your insurance company, and recover from the traumatizing event. Having an attorney on hand to help you navigate the financial aspects will be like a god-send when you are going through this situation. They have a plethora of advice to give you and options you might not have thought of. They can handle the insurance companies in your best favor, rather than having deal with yourself and the headache that brings along with it. If you have the foresight, think about finding an attorney now, before you need them. Someone whose credentials you can get behind, who you get along with and who is within your budget. That way if anything does happen you don’t need to add more stress by needing to do the research, or worrying that the name you pulled off the bus station advertisement might not have your best interests at heart. Having someone in your rolodex who you can call up right after the accident occurs means having some insights into dealing with the other driver, talking to the police, and moving things forward immediately. The sooner you get the process started the easier things will be for everyone involved. Especially if you are not at fault for the accident, you will want to make sure that you do not delay on getting a damage assessment or talking to the insurance companies. You do not want to become a victim of misplaced blame and having an attorney on hand will help you gather any camera footage, police reports, and other information that will help you with your case.
Accidents are never an enjoyable experience but you can help take some of the stress off of your plate by doling out responsibilities to an outside party with experience you may not have. Many attorneys are committed to helping others and their knowledge of the law can be easily extended to help you as well. Finding someone local you can sit with and talk over your options, who can show up in court with you if need be, will greatly aid in your confidence while confronted with this situation. Consider looking into local attorneys today and storing their numbers for easy access in case anything happens tomorrow.