There are some pieces of advice every new driver gets about how to deal with a car accident. Most advice is a list of items to check off and rarely delves into the “why” of an action.
The “why” to do something is as important as “what” the something is in the first place. That’s a healthy mindset for everyone, but if you’re a parent trying to teach your kids about basic car safety, you might have a little less patience to answer “why,” especially if you’re not so sure yourself. So, if your kid ever asks you, “Why should I take get pictures and documentation after an accident,” you can be confident by saying:
“Insurance is not on your side”
Despite pithy jingles and advertising, no insurance company is purely there for injured people. Insurance companies want to make a profit. To do that, they will attempt to pay as little as possible for every claim. That will mean any documentation or photos they produce come from a person motivated to minimize.
Remove uncertainty; retain control
If the evidence likely to come from insurance is suspect, taking evidence collection into your hands removes that uncertainty—especially photographic evidence, for which there is plenty of great advice. You don’t have to wonder where the photos or documents are if you’ve collected them yourself.
Taking steps to handle this yourself puts you firmly in the driver’s seat. Insurance companies rely on people feeling uncertainty. If you know for a fact all the facts of your case, then you are not vulnerable to those tactics.
Create a plan
The next step is to use the evidence in the best possible way to get the best possible results. At that point, it may make sense to consult a skilled personal injury attorney. You’ll get to collect evidence, but your attorney will understand the best way to go forward.