When there is a crash in a traffic accident and their beloved car is over, many do not know what to do. However, correct behavior after a traffic accident is extremely important for successful claims settlement.
We help you avoid mistakes with simple behavioral tips. Then you can effectively enforce your claims and get your rights.
9 golden rules of conduct in the event of a traffic accident
- Secure the accident site: Switch on the hazard warning lights after a traffic accident. Put on the safety vest. Set up the warning triangle approx. 50 to 100 meters away from the scene of the accident.
- Take photos of the accident : Take photos of the scene of the accident with your mobile phone or camera after a traffic accident. These pictures will be beneficial for you whe you’ll need to visit personal injury lawyer. Also take photos of the damage caused to the vehicles. Only then do you move the cars! Only then can the exact location of the vehicles involved in the accident at the time of the accident be proven retrospectively. Difficulties in providing evidence in later disputes about the course of the accident can be effectively avoided.
- Note the license plate number and name of the other party involved in the accident: You should make a note of the license plate number and the name of the other party involved in the accident. With the license plate, the insurer of the opposing vehicle can easily be found out. He has to pay for the damage you suffered. At the central call of the car insurer, the corresponding motor vehicle liability insurer can be found out via the license plate number.
- Write down witnesses: Make a note of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of witnesses. As a neutral observer of the traffic accident, they can be the decisive factor in your direction in disputes with the opposing insurance company.
- Call the police: you should always call the police after a traffic accident. Only in this way will the accident be documented by the police on site. Do not trust the statement of the other party involved in the accident that the matter can be settled “in secret”. Experience has shown that the goodwill of the other party involved in the accident usually ends with one’s own wallet.
- No admission of guilt at the scene of the accident: If you are (partially) at fault in a traffic accident, never give an oral or even written admission of guilt to the other party or the police. Such a declaration can nullify your claims.
- Have an appraisal made: Have a cost estimate made for vehicle damage of less than 800 euros. In the case of higher damage, an expert opinion should be drawn up by a vehicle expert selected and commissioned by you. The cost of a cost estimate or an expert opinion must be paid by the opposing insurance company if the other party to the accident was responsible for the traffic accident. Do not allow the assessment by an expert offered by the opposing insurance company! This expert works primarily for the opposing insurance company. The opposing insurance company, however, has a vehement interest in the least possible damage!
- Consult a doctor: If you have been injured, do not hesitate to consult a doctor immediately after the traffic accident. Only in this way can personal injury be documented and a claim for compensation for pain and suffering later successfully enforced. Keep all receipts for medical bills, prescription costs, travel expenses, etc. in a safe place.
- Contact a lawyer: Find a traffic lawyer quickly and get advice. Then your claims will actually be enforced and you will get your money. If the other party in the accident was at fault, the legal fees are paid in full by the opposing insurance company. Otherwise, the lawyer receives his fee through an existing traffic legal protection insurance. If you do not yet have traffic legal protection insurance, you should immediately conclude a corresponding legal protection insurance contract (without excess) in order to protect yourself effectively in the future. Such insurance often only costs a few euros a month.