Throughout the holiday season, millions of people will get in their vehicles and make their way to their relatives' homes for dinners, get-togethers, presents, and all kinds of fun. Holiday traffic can be an all-out nightmare because there are so many people on the roadways, and accidents are more likely to occur. Unfortunately, if you are on the worst end of an auto accident that was not your fault, there are some issues you can run into because of the time of year. Here is a look at some of the common problems associated with holiday auto accidents. 

Drivers are more likely to be in a hurry after an accident. 

Hit-and-run accidents are far more common during the busiest travel days of the year. Drivers are on their way to places and may not want to take the time to properly document an accident. If you have a collision with another driver and they are acting like they may leave the scene of the accident because they are in a hurry, make sure you do everything you can to record as much information as possible before they take off. Try to convince them to stay, but in the meantime, get all their details like their name, contact information, and the insurance company. Take pictures of both vehicles, their position on the roadway, and any marks left on the road. Get their license plate number as well because when the authorities arrive, they may ask for it. 

You may run into delays when contacting the authorities. 

You can be willing to bet that the holidays are a super busy time for highway patrol officers, the police, and even emergency personnel. If you have an auto accident, it is critical for your claim that you get it properly documented by the local authorities. Be prepared to wait a little longer than usual for the proper authorities to arrive on the scene, and do not leave until they get the accident documented properly and you get the medical care you need. 

It can be harder to file a claim with the insurance company. 

The holidays tend to be the busiest time of year for insurance companies. The increased number of auto accidents means insurance personnel in claims filing departments can be super busy at this time of year. Therefore, it can be a little harder to get your claim filed and actually get to talk to an agent. Never let these delays prevent you from filing a claim as soon as possible because if you do have to file a legal claim against the insurance company, any lag time between the incident and your claim can be used to make it look like you were not as injured as you claim. 

Contact an auto accident attorney for more information.