Many of us have seen an accident in our life at one point or another. But we barely know how the Liability is decided, how is the negligence established, how damages are quantified till one be a party to it. Though not all accidents lead to an investigation, only those involving a bodily injury or extensive damage to vehicle can start an investigation. The investigation is performed by various authorities such as the police, the insurance companies, accident attorneys and private individuals.
Here’s a brief description on how these investigations work:
3Investigation by The Police
After a major accident, the first report of the scene and the people involved in the accident is made by the police and the law requires you to report all the details honestly and reveal all the property damage and bodily injury. The detail containing technical information, witness statements and all other details such as time, location, and vehicle type is available on request, doesn’t matter how severe it is.
2Investigation by Insurance company
Insurance company’s investigation can take anywhere from weeks to months. A proper detailed investigation with the help of experts is done in order to minimize the claim. Determining the fault, damages incurred and legal liability are three main areas where the company looks into. Till the insurance companies reimburse for the damages, you would have to incur all the cost of repairing, medical treatment and other related expenses.
1Individual Investigation
After the accident one may wish to investigate himself to gather all the information that may be required later. If you prepare to do so, make sure you click photographs of the scene, the damage incurred, skid marks, last resting position and also of the road. Try to gather as much witness information as you can and retrieve the black box, if you have one.
One has to be aware of the facts that one may get calls from other party’s Insurance company and attorney, but one has the right to keep silent unless you are subpoenaed.
Originally posted 2017-11-05 13:35:25.
