Tips For When You Wreck Out of State
It’s the time of year when every good little boy and girl gets ready to travel to see all of their family for Christmas. Each of us can’t wait to see moms and dads, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas.
All the kids are looking forward to the presents from Santa and the adults are looking forward to all the sweet treats and maybe some spiked eggnog. However, a lot of times, we have to travel outside of the state we live in to see those precious family members and enjoy the great times planned for us.
As we travel to other states, we must be aware that in the unfortunate event that we experience an accident, some things may be different.
Get Help
We can not express enough that the absolute most important aspect of any trip is the safety of you and the passengers in your vehicle. Should you wreck on the way to Christmas dinner, the first order of business is to make sure that everyone is ok.
Make sure if there is the threat of fire or explosion that all members of your party are a safe distance away from the vehicle. If anyone has received any cuts or gashes, do your best to control the bleeding until the ambulance arrives.
After you have done all that you can to maintain what safety you can, call the police and alert them to the incident if they are not already there. Make sure to alert them of your need of an ambulance, as well. Even if everyone seems ok, it never hurts to be on the safe side.
Prepare for the Insurance Claim
Once everyone is medically taken care of, there are a few things you need to take care of in preparation for your insurance claim. Grab a cell phone (almost everyone has one) and take pictures of your car, their car, any injuries on both sides, and all damage to any surrounding property.
There really are times when you can go overboard, but this isn’t one of them. Take as many pictures as you deem necessary. The more information your insurance company has to work with the better. Next, you need to trade information with any other vehicles that may have been involved in the wreck. Your name, number, and insurance information should be enough.
Follow The Law of The Land
Here’s where things can be a little different. Each state has their own laws concerning car accidents. Some are more strict than others. If you live in Florida, but you wrecked in Alabama and you want to seek compensation for injuries accrued in the accident, you will have to go by Alabama’s laws.
Experiencing a collision in out-of-state can also affect the way you file your insurance claim, as well. For example, if you live in New York, but have a wreck in New Hampshire, you will have to follow the laws concerning insurance in New Hampshire and motorists in New Hampshire are not required to maintain car insurance.
Hopefully, the only collisions any of us will have to worry about this year is the collision between the Christmas ham and our mouth or all those hugs from our loved ones. With that said, if you have the unfortunate experience of the other type, make sure to follow these tips.
