Getting into an automobile accident can be a frightening and confusing experience, especially for first-timers. For this reason, it is important that drivers know what to do if they find themselves involved in such a scenario. Elliot Wiesner is an attorney who has spent the past decade helping New Jersey residents deal with a variety of traffic-related issues and violations. According to Elliot Wiesner, New Jersey drivers must realize that when an automobile accident occurs, they are not supposed to just make a deal and walk away from the situation. Whether you caused the accident or were the innocent victim, Wiesner likes to stress that the best thing to do is report the accident and obtain the proper documentation relating to the event. In fact, proper protocol dictates that you never leave the scene of an accident. Instead, you should report it and wait for an officer to arrive, document the incident, and tell he’ll you when you are free to drive away.
This same set of rules applies to accidents pertaining to one driver in the car. So if you skid on water and slam into a parked car, then you can’t just drive away and hope that no one saw what happened. Many people have a tendency to think that if no other person was involved in the incident, that there’s no need to report it. However, any accident resulting in any sort of property damage must be reported.
One confusing aspect of getting into an accident is the notion of preserving the original scene of the accident. Some guidelines indicate that if you get into an accident, then you should stay put no matter what, even if you’re blocking traffic by taking out a highway lane. Other guidelines state that if you’re able to pull over to a nearby breakdown lane or shoulder in a way that doesn’t significantly alter the scene of the accident, then it’s best to do that, as it clears the road and gets you hopefully out of harm’s way. Remember, the goal in either scenario is to preserve the scene of the accident so that when an officer arrives on the scene, he can determine what happened. You can also do your part to help this process along by getting out of your vehicle if it is safe to do so and immediately documenting the scene by taking photographs. These days, most cell phones come with built-in cameras, making it easy to snap a few shots even before an officer gets to your location.
Of course, once an officer does arrive at the scene, it is important that you cooperate fully and provide him with all the information he needs. Do your best to be patient and be sure to stay put until the officer allows you to drive away. Before you head out, be sure to ask the officer how you can go about accessing his report (the police report) of the accident. This is something that you are going to need in order to deal with the insurance company.
There’s no question that even the most minor of automobile accidents can be both frustrating and scary. Now that you know what to do if an accident occurs, you can take the proper steps to make a daunting situation a bit less complicated.
