A Road Trip Accident - Car Accident On A Road Trip?

It can be incredibly unpleasant when you’re on a fun road trip but get into a dangerous car accident. Every year, 1.35 million individuals die when they get into road crashes every ear, which is 3,700 people each day. When in this kind of situation, you must treat your car accident slightly differently from that of one that happens nearby your home.

Although you may be dealing with some similarities, you’ll want to pay attention to the laws of the state in which your accident occurred in. If you find yourself in a bad car accident while traveling out of state in Arizona, you can read this from Wattel & York to find out more about the best approaches. Here is what you should do after you’ve been in a road accident.

Guide To A Road Trip Accident

Once you’ve been in a car accident, you have to take action to start building your car accident case. Here are some ways you can get started:

Call 911

You will need to call the police as soon as you’ve been in an accident. When on the scene, the police can file a report detailing what happened and the number of damages. You can later have this report pulled by your attorney and used as proof. The police can also provide a citation to the other party if they somehow broke a traffic law, which can help your settlement case.

Take Pictures of the Accident

Snap photographs of any dents, broken glass, twisted metal, and other physical damage that happened because of the car crash. You can also take pictures of your injuries before you are treated and after to show how badly you were harmed. In your pictures, you can also show the damage done to other cars involved in the accident.

Call Your Insurer

You will want to let your car insurance company know what happened and who was at fault for the accident. They may be able to cover some of your bodily damage while you wait for your settlement, depending on the type of policy that you have.

Go to a Nearby Hospital

Don’t wait to go back home to get treated at a hospital; it is better to immediately get treatment to stop your condition from worsening. Also, this shows the seriousness of your damages because the longer you wait, the easier it will be for the other party to argue that not all of your injuries are tied to your car crash.

Collect Contact Information

You need to gather the contact information of the other party and any eyewitnesses, if applicable. This is so that your attorney can contact the other party later, if necessary.

Work with a Local Lawyer

Getting into a car accident in your home state is different from crashing out of state. This is because state laws differ regarding car crashes. For example, in some states, there is comparative negligence, and in others, there is contributory negligence.

This impacts your settlement claim because if you partially contributed to your accident, you may or may not receive a settlement based on the state you’re in. In some states, you can receive a settlement even if you were 99% responsible, while in others, you only can if you were under 50% responsible. Others won’t allow any settlement for someone who helped cause an accident.

What Damages Can I Claim on a Road Trip?

Similar to a car accident in your own state, you’d be able to claim for economic and non-economic damages that amount to how much you endured because of your personal injury. This includes damages for medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Also, this amount includes not only past damages, but also on-going damages that continue into the future. For example, your medical bills may require additional checkups and treatments that require several months of treatment. Your injuries may also require you to stay home and miss work for five or more weeks ahead. In cases like these, you can include these costs in your settlement.

What if I Am an Out of State Visitor in a Car Accident?

If you got into a horrible collision and are an out-of-state traveler, you should start preparing for your settlement claim. You can speak to an Arizona car accident attorney about your experience to learn more about how you should handle your case and what your next steps are. They can also help answer any complex questions about the state you’re in and whether you are eligible for a settlement based on the state’s laws. Getting into a car wreck can be confusing when you’re far from home, so having a supportive guide can help.