You may be at the end of your day and it is time to leave work and go home for the evening. You get into your car and you get onto a busy highway. During rush hour, traffic can be really brutal. Many times, the traffic is bumper to bumper and what should have taken you 30 minutes to get home takes you over an hour. All you want is to arrive safely in your driveway on your quiet, suburban street.
However, instead of getting your wish, you are stuck in traffic with nowhere to go and you are moving at a snail’s pace. Suddenly, the driver behind you decides to make a move, which would have been okay if you had not decided to make the same move at the same time. Sadly, you collide with the other driver. So, what is the first thing that you should do after you have been involved in a collision with another car?
The steps to follow after a collision
After you have been involved in a collision with another car and you feel that it is serious enough for the police or emergency medical services to get involved, you need to call 9-1-1. On the other hand, if you feel that the accident is extremely minor and that the police and the medical workers don’t really need to be present at the scene of the accident, you shouldn’t call 9-1-1.
However, even if you don’t call 9-1-1, you still need to exchange insurance information and to report the collision online via the Collision Report with Washington State Patrol. According to Washington State law, if the damage to the vehicle is over $1,000, legally, you are obligated to report the collision to the Washington State Patrol.
Getting legal support for a Seattle motor vehicle accident attorney
If you have been in a car accident, you may not only be injured physically but you may also suffer mental and emotional damage. In fact, a car accident can be devastating to many different aspects of your life. The advice of a seasoned Seattle motor vehicle accident attorney can really help to make your case go smoothly. The attorney can help you to seek the compensation that you need and that you deserve if another driver was negligent. At the same time, you must protect your rights and your attorney can help to ensure that protection so that you can move on and live your life fully.