Met With A Road Accident? Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

Road accidents are unfortunate and unfortunately, these are common too. Thousands of people get involved in them every year, with a major proportion of accidents accounting for injuries. In some cases, the injuries can be devastating and even fatal. Therefore, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities if you do get into a minor or major accident, whether you’re on the road for business or pleasure.

Understanding your rights and exercising them can help you get compensated by an insurance company, which can considerably prevent financial devastation. Similarly, knowing your responsibilities is equally crucial as it can save you a lot of trouble and strengthen your claim as well. Let us give you some guidelines about your rights and responsibilities if you meet with a road accident.

Know your rights first

As a road accident victim, you need to know all your rights after the accident so that you get compensated for being injured due to negligence of the other driver. Here is a list of your rights in such a case:

• You can ask the name, address, driver’s license information and vehicle registration number of the negligent driver. If they fail to provide this information, the police would deal with them and you can get the details from the officer responsible for gathering them.
• In case you get injured during the mishap, you have the right to get reasonable assistance including the arrangements for transporting you to a medical facility for treatment.
• Another right as an accident victim is that you should get a copy of the initial report of the road accident. This document can play a key role in supporting your compensation claim. Ask the police officer about how and when the report will be available to you.
•  As a victim, you may decline to speak with or give your statement to the insurance adjusters who represent the negligent driver. Before providing any statement, you should surely involve a legal professional.
• The best approach to getting your rights enforced as an accident victim is by seeking guidance from attorneys who provide professional legal services in the personal injury niche. Since they are well aware of the nuances of such cases, they can give you the right advice about getting the best possible compensation from the guilty party.
• If the accident has been caused by the negligence of the other driver, you can demand compensation for medical expenses and any other expenses from the negligent driver’s insurer.
• In case the insurance company refuses the claim or does not pay you the compensation you deserve, you can file a personal injury lawsuit in a court of law and seek the compensation you deserve for your physical trauma, medical expenses and loss of employment as the case may be.

Understand your duties as well

Besides knowing your rights as a victim, you also need to understand your duties and responsibilities that you need to fulfill. The responsibilities are even greater if the accident has occurred due to your negligence. Here are the duties and responsibilities that victims and guilty drivers should follow:

• In case there is no need for emergency aid, you should still avail of a medical assessment to have proof of the injuries sustained as a victim. This gives you access to documentation by a qualified practitioner, which may be of help when you file a compensation claim.
• Do file an accident report immediately if you have been involved in one because it is mandatorily needed to claim compensation from the insurance company. Also, get the details of the witnesses as you may require connecting with them if you file a lawsuit later.
• In case the accident has taken place due to your negligence, hit and run is the worst thing to do. It can endanger the life of the victim and land you in serious legal trouble. The best thing to do would be to stop and help and also cooperate with authorities. If you happen to be passing by, helping the victims should be your first priority.
• Do exchange basic information, whether you are the victim, witness or guilty party. Not abiding by the laws will make the situation only worse for you, even if you are not at blame.

Being aware of your rights and duties and ensuring that you exercise them can make all the difference to your compensation claim. Collaborating with a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law is equally critical. Doing so adds authenticity to your case and gets you on the right track.