The steps you take after your car accident play a significant role in determining the outcome. If you can physically move and have even slight mental clarity, be proactive after the crash. This is your guide to the seven most important things you can do after a car accident.
Step 1: Obtain Medical Assistance
Car accident victims often suffer broken bones, whiplash, or traumatic brain injuries. Even if you feel only slight pain after the crash, it is in your interest to reach out to emergency medical responders for assistance. Moreover, it is also in your interest to meet with a physician who will create a formal medical report. Meet with a physician as soon as possible, as the timing of the report generation helps prove there is a causal relationship between your injuries and the car crash.
Even if you feel relatively normal the afternoon or night after the crash or in the ensuing days, meeting with a medical professional is still in your interest. Whiplash and other latent symptoms might not manifest for days or weeks.
Step 2: Contact the Police
If you are tempted to keep the accident a secret to avoid potential legal liability or other ramifications, follow your conscience. Even if you don’t reach out to the police, there is a good chance the other driver(s) involved in the accident will do so anyway. Call the police to report the accident. The responding police officer will likely arrive at the accident scene within an hour or less. The officer will create a formal police accident report detailing how the accident occurred. The police accident report can be used in a court of law.
Do not admit fault when interacting with the responding police officer. Strictly focus on the facts of the accident while remaining as stoic as possible. Explain how the accident occurred and why the other party is in the wrong. Be sure to record the responding police officer’s badge number along with his or her contact information, then forward that information to your California car accident attorney for reference as the case takes shape.
Step 3: Exchange Information With the Other Drivers
Provide your name and auto insurance information to the other drivers involved in the accident. Ask for the names and auto insurance information of the other drivers involved in the crash. Use your smartphone to snap pictures or pen and paper to write down the information of other drivers. Vehicle make, model, and license plate numbers, along with insurer name and number, are especially important for posterity’s sake.
Though you are not legally required to provide your contact information to other drivers, you can provide them with the name and phone number of your attorney. Moreover, you can jot down the phone number or email address of those involved in the accident to forward to your California car crash attorney. If those involved in the accident are uncooperative, let the responding police officer interact with them to obtain their name and auto insurance information on your behalf.
Step 4: Take Pictures of the Accident Scene
Use your smartphone or digital camera to take pictures of the crash site. Take pictures of all vehicles involved in the accident from several different distances and angles. Record video of the crash scene using your smartphone’s video recording feature. If your phone is damaged or not on your person and you don’t have a digital camera on hand, draw a picture of the accident scene with pen and paper. You can also ask the responding police officer or witnesses to take pictures of the accident scene with their smartphone and forward them to your email address for evidentiary use.
If anyone witnessed the accident, use your smartphone to record their eyewitness statements, names, and contact information. If a witness feels uncomfortable providing details about their observation of the accident, ask for their name, phone number, or email address so your attorney can contact them for information as the case takes shape. It will also help to take pictures of the area around the accident site, including obstructed traffic signs, malfunctioning traffic lights, poorly marked road lanes, and any other factors that might have contributed to the crash.
Step 5: Pull Over to the Side of the Road
Now that the accident scene has been thoroughly documented for posterity’s sake, move the vehicle to the side of the road. However, if your vehicle is totaled, doesn’t start, or is out of alignment to the point that it is unsafe to drive, reach out to a tow truck operator for a tow to a safe location.
Activate the vehicle’s hazard lights, put flares behind the vehicle to notify other drivers of the problem ahead, and wait for the tow truck operator to arrive. Wait for the responder by the side of the curb, far away from traffic, ensuring you are out of harm’s way.
Step 6: Report the Accident to Your Auto Insurer
Contact the auto insurance company to report the accident. However, it is a mistake to admit even slight fault during the conversation with your auto insurance representative. If you are hesitant to contact the insurance company because you are intimidated by a legal-oriented conversation or if you are incapacitated, let your California car crash attorney speak on your behalf.
The auto insurer will instruct an insurance adjuster to analyze the damages. However, moving forward, you do not have to interact with the adjuster, anyone from your insurance company, or the other driver(s) involved in the accident. Your California car crash lawyer will handle the entirety of those discussions if desired.
Experienced car crash attorneys know exactly what to say when discussing client accidents with insurers, ensuring they adhere to good-faith practices to maximize your financial compensation.
Step 7: Contact a California or Florida Car Crash Attorney
If your car accident occurred in California or Florida, our personal injury attorneys will take your call and likely take your case. Let our legal team gather evidence, build a convincing argument, and engage in settlement talks on your behalf. Our car crash attorneys will handle the entirety of legal challenges while you recuperate your body and mind after this traumatizing incident.
We will passionately advocate for justice on your behalf when engaging with insurers, opposing counsel, and the judge in and out of a court of law. The path to financial compensation in the form of a lucrative settlement offer or court award begins with a phone call to our office.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Aftermath of Car Accidents
Should I Say Anything to the Other Driver Involved in the Crash?
Say as little as possible to other drivers to avoid admission of fault. Do not apologize or indicate even slight remorse. Simply provide your name and auto insurance information. If the other driver pushes for an admission of fault, or if they pry for other information, refer them to your California car crash attorney.
Can the Statements I Make After a Crash Be Used Against Me in Court?
Indeed, they can. The statements you make to other drivers, the police, or medical personnel can be used against you in court. Such statements are more believable when presented through smartphone recordings or made to the police.
What Is the Most Important Thing To Do After a Car Accident?
Your health matters more than anything. Contact emergency medical responders and visit a doctor so the ensuing medical report will strengthen your case in a court of law.
Do I Really Need a Car Crash Attorney in California?
Yes. History shows those who attempt to represent themselves pro se in a court of law almost always fail. A car accident attorney in California or Florida will collect evidence, engage in the discovery process, and fiercely advocate on your behalf to maximize your financial compensation.
Contact Gomez Law Today
For help, contact Gomez Trial Lawyers today for a free consultation by calling 866-TRIAL LAW (866-874-2552) or by contacting us online.