It’s bad enough to get in some kind of a traffic accident when you’re near your home. It can be way more stressful when you run into that situation when you’re traveling, whether it’s for business or pleasure. That’s why it’s always good to do a little bit of thinking before heading out on your next journey.
So what do you do when you get in an accident when you’re out traveling? You need to know how to call a towing service. You need to get an attorney on the line quickly. Make sure that you get everyone’s information fast that is either involved in the accident or can be a witness. And you always need to call the authorities. Skip any one of those steps, and you could be in trouble.
Call a Tow
If your car is totaled beyond the ability to drive, you need to have the presence of mind to call a towing service. If the accident has occurred in an area that you’re unfamiliar with, you can scan quickly on your cell phone the most reputable places nearby, or you can simply search for the nearest one. Either way, you need to get the attention of a service as soon as possible.
Get an Attorney on the Line
Especially if there was any significant damage or injury, you need to call a car accident attorney as soon as possible. Regardless if the accident was your fault, the other person’s fault, or nobody’s fault, an attorney would know what to do. Particularly if you’re not in your home state or home country, there may be details that you are unaware of regarding the law. It never hurts to have official legal advice a few taps on your phone away.
Get Everyone’s Information Quickly
One thing that people often forget about when they’re in an accident is to get everyone’s information quickly. Take pictures of license plates. Get people’s driver’s licenses and insurance papers. If anyone nearby is a witness, get their information quickly. It’s part of the standard auto accident checklist, but it is a step that is often forgotten.
Call the Authorities
Don’t hesitate to call the authorities. If you’re out traveling especially, there may be laws or even cultural norms that are different from where you’re used to. By calling the authorities, you stick a timestamp on the event, and you also have on the record that you tried to do the right thing at the time. Trying to take care of accidents without involving the authorities can come back to bite you later, and if you’re not in your typical geographical jurisdiction, things can get even stickier when it comes to legal claims.
