Car accidents are frightening and traumatic, especially when they cause serious injuries to a driver or passenger. Unfortunately, the distress of an accident often continues long after the accident when an injury victim tackles the complex car accident claim process in New Jersey. New Jersey’s no-fault insurance laws require filing claims against your own insurance, except under specific circumstances.
A car accident lawyer can help, but knowing how the car accident claim process works in New Jersey and how you can take steps to protect yourself can help streamline the financial recovery process so you can focus on your physical recovery.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident
After a car accident, you could be unconscious or disoriented and unable to do anything other than wait for help; however, in some cases, taking specific steps at the accident scene helps protect your physical and financial future. Your phone is a critical tool for preserving evidence at the scene. You can use it even without moving from your position and causing further injury. If possible after an accident, do the following:
- First, call 911 to report the accident and request emergency services
- Then, use your phone’s camera to take photos of the damaged vehicles
- Take photos of the accident scene, including anything relevant to the cause of the accident
- Take photos of any visible injuries
- Add the contact information of the other driver or drivers involved
- If there were any eyewitnesses, add their contact information to your phone
Go directly to the hospital from the accident scene and ask for a complete medical examination. Be sure to get a detailed medical report for evidence of your injuries and proof that they occurred in the car accident.
What to Do During the Days After the Car Accident?
Be sure to notify your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. Most insurance companies require notification within ten to 30 days. Collect the police report of your accident and any evidence gathered at the accident scene. Then, call an experienced car accident attorney to help determine how you should approach your claim.
During your medical treatment, keep copies of your medical bills and receipts for related expenses. It’s important to follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations carefully and avoid posting on social media until you resolve your New Jersey car acccident claim.
How Does the Car Accident Claim Process In New Jersey Work?
New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state that requires car accident victims to file car accident claims against their own insurance policy. Depending on the circumstances of the accident and the options available under your insurance policy, you may be able to file a claim against another driver if they caused the accident. In some cases, a car accident victim with injury expenses that far exceed their coverage may file a personal injury lawsuit against an at-fault driver or a third party, like the manufacturer of a defective auto part or a negligent road maintenance agency.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help?
After a car accident, it’s important to hire an experienced attorney to examine all options for compensation available to you. A Camden motor vehicle accident attorney investigates the accident, gathers evidence of fault and liability, and strategizes the most effective way forward for the best possible outcome in your case. Call Cuneo & Leonetti today so we can evaluate your case and determine how to move forward.