Even the most careful drivers can be involved in a car accident. Firstly, the most important thing is not to admit liability or blame yourself publically. Even if you feel you were at fault, it’s important to protect yourself should legal concerns be raised surrounding the accident.
After you have been involved in a car accident, there are several legal obligations you must fulfil. You must stop if you are involved in an accident, and you must provide your name and address to any other involved parties. If there has been damage to property of someone who is not present, or a person has been injured, then the police must also be notified.
You should exchange full names, address, registration numbers and insurance company details with any other parties involved in the accident. If you are not the owner of the car you’re driving, you should also provide the name and address of the owner of the car.
You may also like to take the opportunity to make a note of the make and model of the car, along with the position on the road and any visible damage to the car. This information may help with insurance claims later. If you have a camera or smart phone with you, you may also like to take photographs of the accident scene.
If there are any witnesses to the accident, it’s a good idea to also exchange contact information with them. Should there be a question or disagreement as to what happened later, witnesses can be helpful in determining what happened during the accident.
