After you’re involved in a crash with another person, your next step will be to make a personal injury claim against their insurance. Making a claim against their insurance is known as a third-party claim, because you’re the third party involved next to the driver and their insurance carrier.
What you’ll need to do to make that claim varies, but you should start with gathering evidence from the scene of the collision. That evidence, like photos, will go a long way in helping your case.
Gathering evidence from the scene
If you are able to do so after your crash, you should take photos, gather information about witnesses and gather other information that may help, such as that the light was green when you entered the intersection or that the other person was using their phone at the time of the crash.
It’s at this point you can also ask the other driver for their insurance ID card. If they are injured or you’re waiting for help, then you can do this at a later time. With injuries, it’s important that 911 is notified as soon as possible. The police will come to the scene and make a report, and the emergency teams will begin documenting each victim’s injuries.
Contact your attorney and insurer as soon as possible
You should reach out to your insurer as soon as you can following the crash, no matter who was at fault. Just remember that you don’t need to admit fault when you speak with either insurance carrier, even if you think you may be to blame. Other parties, like the police and the insurance agents, will determine fault.
When you contact your insurance, you should also be ready to talk to your attorney if you haven’t already done so. In fact, if you’re at all confused about what steps to take, then your attorney should be the first person you call after you get medical help. That way, they can guide you through each step of the claims process and help you make sure that you do not say or do anything that could hurt your claim.
