Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in America with more than 30,000 people being killed by car crashes each year. If you've been involved in a car accident and you weren't the one at fault, preserving your rights is of the utmost importance if you want to ensure that you recover maximum compensation after your injury. Here are some helpful pointers on what you can do immediately following an accident with another vehicle:

Call The Police And Get A Police Report

In many states, if you are involved in an accident that is not your fault, the law requires you to report it to the police. A police report can prove crucial in the event that you are sued by the other driver, who may claim that there was no accident or your injuries were somehow your fault. Depending on your state's law, you might also be required to file an official report with your insurance company if their car is damaged. If it wasn't severely damaged and they don't ask for a damage estimate from you, however, you could probably get away with not reporting it.

Explore Your Legal Options

If you've been injured, don't hesitate to explore whatever legal options available that might help offset medical expenses and other damages resulting from an accident - even if you were not at fault. If the accident happened around Georgia, don’t hesitate to hire a personal injury lawyer in Clayton’ in many cases, those who are found to be at fault are required to pay damages to those who sustained injuries in an accident that wasn’t their fault. Legal representation will likely increase the chances of you receiving damages in these cases. 

Avoid Signing Documents

It's not uncommon for people who are involved in an accident to sign a document before talking with an attorney or receiving medical care. This could be detrimental to your case, especially if you were seriously injured and the other party argues that they will make sure you get adequate compensation if only you'll sign it over. Signing anything without first consulting with an attorney is pure negligence on your part, so do everything in your power to avoid signing any documents until you're fully aware of what is being asked of you.

Treat The Injuries You Sustain Immediately

If there is any chance that your injuries are serious (and even if they seem like they might be minor) go to an emergency room immediately, no matter how small you think they may be. When your doctor says nothing was wrong with you and "you don't need to see a doctor" - make sure to get 8 copies of all the records from them verifying this so that you can keep them on file with your insurance carrier's claims department. Keep the doctor's phone number on file with the claims department, as well.

Preserve Damaged Property

Take pictures of all damaged property that is related to your accident - specifically yourself, your car, and the surrounding area. Make sure to take photos of any damage done to other cars involved in the crash. If you have a camera or smartphone with this feature built-in, by all means, use it! You can even ask for someone else at the scene to snap some photos for you if need be. 

These kinds of photos are extremely helpful when trying to obtain compensation for damages sustained during an accident. Don't touch anything until you've taken these pictures, though - and make sure not to leave the of the accident until everything has been photographed to your satisfaction. If you are unsure of how to take these kinds of photos, there are plenty of tutorials available on the Internet that outline this process specifically.

File An Accident Claim With Your Insurance Company

Even if you were not at fault for an accident, it's still important to file an insurance claim immediately after you've been injured because it will ensure that your medical expenses are covered by their corresponding policies. By filing this claim quickly with all agencies involved, you will be protecting yourself from things that could potentially complicate your claim down the line, such as your insurance claim being denied due to a failure on your part to file within the time frame of the policy.