Have you or your family experienced a disaster or car accident recently? Then there is a good chance that you have because statistics say that it is actually more likely to happen than you think! Life is not safe or easy, so make sure you are prepared and ready for whatever disaster you encounter.
Depending on what kind of disaster you encounter you might end up needing a specific type of compensation. It can be overwhelming to deal with insurance and lawyers when you have recently experienced a disaster. If you are struggling with what to do then you can explore different kinds of options and an online ‘catastrophe adjuster’ that can help assess damages after a disaster. Researching online is completely free and can save you time and money in the long run. It’s just plain smart!
Don’t miss out, read on and find out the key steps to claim your insurance after a disaster.
Step 1: Call 911
The first thing you should do if necessary is to pull over and call 911. This will make sure that emergency personnel are on-site ASAP to attend to any medical needs, and assess the disaster. The police will ask you for information on the accident. Tell them your needs and they will dispense help immediately. Be sure to give them all pertinent info on the disaster to make sure the proper help arrives.
Step 2: Exchange information
Now that authorities are on the way, if you and the other people involved are safe and able to do so now is the time to exchange information. Getting this step out of the way quickly makes sure that nothing essential gets missed out on and you have an open line of communication with each other.
Step 3: Obtain police report
Obtaining the police report before you leave the accident is a necessary step. This ensures you are aware of what the legal report states occurred during the disaster. You will need this police report during later steps in the process.
Step 4: Report accident if necessary to DMV
If the accident is serious enough then you should consider reporting to the DMV what happened. Some minor accidents are known and fender benders don’t require this, and often are minimal repairs.
Step 5: Relax and breathe
You’ve just been in a catastrophe, which can be a stressful ordeal. Having taken care of the aforementioned steps you should relax for a minute and try to calm down. It is not advised to post anything on social media about your disaster. This is because the defense’s representatives are often able to find ways to view your social media, and are able to use any posts you make against your case. For this reason, it is important to resist the temptation to post or complain on social media if you want to present the strongest case possible.
Step 6: Gather evidence
Making sure you have well preserved evidence of the catastrophe will help you present a strong case in court. Ideally this should be primary evidence, such as eyewitness accounts, video, pictures, or doctors reports. By having all your evidence sorted and ready to go for court then you can rest easy knowing it will help your case substantially. Talk to people, take photos, speak with surrounding business owners about the potential video footage. You would be surprised at the results generated by asking around the area of the disaster.
Step 7: Seek medical treatment
Making sure you have well-preserved evidence of the disaster will help you present a strong personal injury case in court. Ideally, this should be primary evidence, such as eyewitness accounts, video, pictures, or doctor’s reports. By having all your evidence sorted and ready to go for court then you can rest easy knowing it will help your case substantially. Obviously the best-case scenario of any personal injury is that you eventually recover. Just because you make a full recovery doesn’t mean you are necessarily not entitled to compensation. Consult with legal professionals always in order to make sure you get the proper compensation for the damages after a disaster.
Step 8: Quickly file your suit
Make sure you quickly file your suit after a disaster to make sure you get the best possible compensation. Don’t delay! The power is in your hands alone to follow your suit in a timely manner.
As much as possible, nobody wants to be in any kind of disaster, but when it does happen, it is always better to be prepared. By following these tips, you will ensure that you or your loved ones get the proper representation and compensation that they deserve. Regardless of the nature of your injury or where the injury occurred, this can help point you in the right direction.