Texan residents like you may have been in small crashes before. “Fender benders” are one particularly well-known type of small vehicle crash, and typically involve one car tapping the bumper of another. However, even these small crashes can have a big impact.
As FindLaw states, the first and most important thing is to understand how to handle small crashes. Your actions in the immediate aftermath can make all of the difference later down the line, especially if you pursue damages. Therefore, the first things to do are check for sparks, signs of fire, and injury. After you’ve determined the situation isn’t immediately dangerous, you can get out of the way of traffic. To preserve the incident as it occurred, take pictures of whatever you can. Call the police as well, and exchange contact information with the other driver.
You must remain at the scene, especially if police are on the way. Leaving too early can be grounds for criminal charges. Make sure not to barter before police show up or before you talk to an attorney too, since you don’t want to make promises that you later regret. Finally, calling you insurance provider is important. It’s a good idea to do this even if there were no damages done to your car.
Even minor car crashes can be enough to rattle anyone. If you have been involved in a collision, even if it was a small one, you might want to consider talking to an experienced attorney. They can help you deal with the situation moving forward.
