You are away with the family or a few buddies, either way, you are away on vacation. You are enjoying yourself some sunshine and a few mocktails in the morning, followed by dancing and a few cocktails at night. For the time being, you are having the best time of your life. Every moment of this trip has been a blessing. Well, that was until you decided to take your rented car out on a particular night and get into an accident.
Moments like these are frustrating and nerve-wracking, especially as no one has ever received training for this kind of occurrence. So, what do you do?
Reasons for panicking
You start to panic that your life as you know it is over. The reasons you are panicking are quite clear. Firstly, you are far away from your home. Secondly, you may be unfamiliar with the area. Thirdly, you probably have no idea who you should call for help. Of course, there is the likely fact that you are driving a rental. What is worse is that you may have sustained a few serious injuries, but that is not even your top concern, as these injuries may be what is standing between you and traveling back home. So you are panicking, though you should not.
Do not panic during an accident
When you get into an accident in a place that is foreign to you, the very first thing you must do is not panic at all. You must remain calm and collected, so you may act appropriately. If your only involvement in this predicament is getting hit by someone, then they will probably bare the results of their recklessness. This will require legal representation, which will seek to compensate you for the damages and injuries that they may have caused.
However, putting a value on your case and negotiating a settlement is much more complex than one may think. The legal gurus over at https://www.hamparyan.com/san-diego-car-accident-attorney/ urge the importance of having competent legal representation on your behalf, who will carry out the necessary formal steps when seeking to procure you a settlement or compensation. This will include communicating with the other driver’s insurance company. It is important to be wary of these things, in order to protect your legal rights and successfully negotiate a settlement or compensation.
How to act in an accident
During an accident, whether it is at home or out of town, you must follow a few certain steps as they could help you and the other involved party or parties. Here are the things you should do:
Call the police
The first thing you must do, before anything else, is reach for your phone and call the local police. Tell them where you are, what happened, and have them send over the ambulance as well. If you are unable to call the police, for any reason, such as a broken phone or being unfamiliar with the country emergency contacts, then ask someone nearby to call them for you. This step is crucial, even if neither party has sustained any serious injuries.
Check for injuries
Check all over your body and make sure there are no injuries. If you have not called the ambulance, you should consider going to a doctor to conduct a quick check up. Remember, not all injuries will show, some are internal, so make sure you are cleared by a professional and not just yourself.
Get a police report
Once you get home, if accident issues were to follow you and were not resolved in the country of origin, it is best to be prepared. So, get the report while you are there because getting it from another city, state or country can be very difficult.
Your rental
Whether you have rented a Vespa or a cool car, contact the rental company and make sure to notify them of what happened. If you did not pay for insurance, it may still be that you are covered by insurance, just not theirs. Also, some credit cards may offer rental car coverage if you paid for the rental via credit card. So, make sure to clarify this with your car rental company before getting the car and check to see if you are covered by insurance.
Getting into an accident, or just being involved in a non-serious one is utterly inconvenient. However, it still requires that you deal with it correctly so that you can go on with your life. Just, always look to hire an attorney in the event that you get into an accident while traveling, as they are familiar with the rules and laws of the city you are visiting.