What to Do if You Experience a Car Accident While Traveling This Holiday Season

The Automobile Association of America (AAA) has reported that more than 55 million travelers are making plans to kick off the holiday season with a trip of 50 miles or more away from home .The vast majority of holiday travelers will drive to their destinations. This includes over 49 million travelers who will hit the road this holiday season, the most since 2005 and almost three percent more than last year.

How Dangerous Can Traveling Be?

Sadly, not all of the travelers who decide to take a road trip this holiday season will make it to their destination safely. According to the National Safety Council, 385 car accident traffic deaths resulted during the Thanksgiving holiday period last year. Being that a six-year average demonstrates that traffic deaths during the Thanksgiving holiday period constitute almost 12.5 percent of the total motor-vehicle deaths every November, anyone who plans on traveling this holiday season should understand what the next steps should be if he or she happens to end up in a collision.

What Should You Do if You Experience a Car Accident?

• Call 9-1-1 and do not admit fault. At the scene of the accident, you probably won’t be thinking clearly and it can be easy to mix up facts and implicate yourself in something you didn’t actually do.
• Never leave the scene. Whatever you do, don’t drive away from the scene of an accident. Even if you think the accident is a minor one, you should be aware that doing so is illegal. Additionally, doing so also lessens your credibility for any claim you later file.
• Take pictures of the scene of the accident and the surrounding area. Use your smartphone to take pictures of the scene of the accident including impacted guard rails, tread marks, and any places where you see paint from the vehicles or parts that fell off.
• Ensure you record the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses. This includes writing yourself a note with details such as what the person is wearing and what he or she witnessed to help you jog your memory later.
• Contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. While you can pursue a claim on your own, you should understand the chances of obtaining the compensation that you deserve are always better when you have an experienced legal team on your side.

Have You or a Loved One Been Injured in the Sunshine State this Holiday Season?

Whether you are a Florida resident or were simply passing through when you were unexpectedly in an accident, you probably don’t know where to turn at this difficult time. Experienced personal injury attorneys understand that accidents often happen when you least expect them, such as when you are on vacation. As the West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm, we believe that the responsible party should be held accountable. We offer the legal team that you can depend on for help because we have substantial experience successfully fighting for people who are the victims of car accidents. Contact us for help today.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Jacksonville, Tampa, Bradenton, Ocala, Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach areas.

Resources:

newsroom.aaa.com/2019/11/aaa-more-than-55-million-travelers-taking-to-the-roads-and-skies-this-thanksgiving/

injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/holidays/thanksgiving-day/data-details/

https://www.pendaslaw.com/liability-when-the-driver-of-the-car-is-not-the-owner/