Can I Collect Damages After a Minor Auto Accident

An accident is traumatic and damaging- either physically, mentally, or both. And irrespective of the severity, an accident is a serious situation. But when it comes to compensation, people usually wonder, can I collect damages after a "minor" auto accident Yes, you can. If you can prove that the accident occurred due to the other party's negligence, you are entitled to a settlement. That is what today’s article is about.

First Things First: What To Do In An Event Of Accident
Like we said before, it does not matter how big the accident was. A small and minor accident can cause serious harm. So, after facing such a situation, you need to follow a series of steps:

Make sure you are safe: After a minor accident, make sure you and others involved in the accident are safe. Check if anyone unrelated to the accident is also safe.

Do not move your vehicle: If not urgent, do not move the car from the crime scene before the police come. Perhaps, you can take the car aside if it is in the middle of the road.

Remember to limit your actions to help the injured. Do not move the cars that were involved in the accident. Also, don't carry any other things. The exception is when it is required for safety reasons, or you simply want to protect the property of the victims from greater harm.

Contact the authority: In simple words. Call the police and emergency services. Call 911. They will arrange forces to come to help.

Collect information: This step is very important. Collect as much information as you can. These will help you when you claim compensation.

Take photographs, videos, written documents, etc.

Do not apologize when talking to the other party. You can only exchange information but never say or do anything that can go against you.

Stay at the scene of the accident: Stay at the scene of the accident at least until the arrival of services. If calling the police or an ambulance required you to move away, then go. But after notifying the services, return immediately to the scene of the incident.

It is worth remembering that if the perpetrator of the accident, the insurer has the right to recourse the benefit. What does it mean? The insurance company will simply require the offender to reimburse the damages and the victim's compensation.

Running away from the scene of an accident is also a circumstance that may increase the penalty for causing the event.

How To Report A Claim And Can I Collect Damages After A "Minor" Auto Accident
If you are injured as a result of an accident, you report the damage to the perpetrator's insurer. The policeman should provide you with the correct liability policy number. The law gives you a lot of time to report damage from civil liability insurance. But it is better to deal with it quickly. The process of claim adjustment and payment of compensation will then go much more efficiently.

The main factor determining the claim is the negligence of the other person. You have to prove in court that the other party was irresponsible and caused the accident. Because the more you are at fault, the less compensation you get.

Example:
Let’s describe the situation with an example. Suppose Alex (imaginary name) was injured in motorcycle accident in Airdrie. A car hit him. Although the accident was minor, Alex had a minor injury and had a mental breakdown. So, Alex was entitled 50,000$ as a settlement. But in court, it was found that Alex was speeding a little higher. So, he was 20% at fault in this case. In such a case, Alex would not get the full amount. Instead, he would have less than that.

How Long Does It Take To Get Settle
The compensation should be paid within 30 days from the date of reporting the event. However, in justified cases, this period may be extended. In such a situation, the insurer must inform you about the reasons for the delay and provide an approximate date of payment. However, the indisputable part of the compensation should already be paid within the first 30 days.

Final Verdict
A road traffic accident is always a very stressful event. Having learned the rules of conduct after an accident in advance, you can, however, prepare for such a situation at least a little. We hope that our instructions will help you stay calm in times of crisis.