Anytime someone gets in a car accident, the trauma alone makes for a nervous and stressful situation on all parties involved. Its usually not long after the initial accident, that our agency is the first phone call made.
Whether you’ve experienced the situation of being involved in an accident or thankfully have yet to, its always a good idea to understand the steps that need to be taken to properly handle a car accident.
When a car accident happens, injuries may be severe and emotions may be high. However, there are important things that must be taken care of
1. Stay at the Scene
The cardinal rule for all car accidents is that you should never leave the scene until it is appropriate to do so. If you leave the scene of an accident, particularly where someone has sustained injuries or was killed, you can face serious criminal penalties for being a “hit-and-run” driver.
2. Check All Drivers and Passengers
Before assessing property damage, check to make sure that everyone else involved in the accident is okay. Get medical attention for anyone who may need it. If a person is unconscious or complains of neck or back pain, it is best not to move them until qualified medical personnel arrive. In some situations, for example if an injured person is lying in a pool of gas that you fear may ignite at any time, you may have no choice but to move them. If you are in that type of situation, try to move them as steadily and slowly as possible while supporting their neck and back. The less movement, the better.
3. Call the Police Immediately
Especially if the accident involves significant property damage, physical injury, or death, you may need to call the police. Ask that a police report be filed in situations where law enforcement officers do arrive at the scene, and obtain the name and badge numbers of any responding officers.
4. Exchange Information With Parties Involved
Talk to the drivers of any other vehicles involved in the accident. Get their names, phone numbers, addresses, drivers’ license numbers, license plate numbers, and basic insurance information. If there are passengers in any of the vehicles, obtain their names, telephone numbers, and addresses as well. In talking to drivers of other vehicles, you should try to be cordial and cooperative in determining that everyone is okay and in exchanging basic information.
5. Talk to Witnesses
Ask every witness what he or she saw. Get their names, telephone numbers or addresses, if possible. Whether the witnesses are residents of the area, businesspeople that work nearby, or passersby who were in the vicinity, try to talk to as many people as you can. Ask them, in particular, if they have ever witnessed other accidents in the same place. If a witness is hesitant to talk to you, don’t beg or threaten them. Forcing information from someone will get you nowhere. Write down what they tell you and, if they agree, simply get their name and phone number so that you, your attorney, the insurance company, or the court can contact them again.
6. Inform Your Insurance Company
As soon as possible, tell your insurance company that you have been involved in an accident. Cooperate with your insurance company and tell them the truth about what happened and the extent of your injuries. If the insurance company finds out that you have lied to them about anything, you can get into serious trouble, not the least of which may be the denial of any coverage for the accident. Build support for your case when discussing the matter with your insurance company. Be able to explain to them the facts of the case in a clear manner. Obtain and review a copy of any police report, so that you can point out to the insurance company who broke what traffic laws or who was at fault for the accident. Such information will often be provided in the report. Although the insurance company may already know the facts of your case, taking an active interest in making sure your rights are protected will force the insurance company to take you seriously. If you have placed your insurance through an agency, be sure to call your agency or agent prior to calling the company. Your agent fights for YOU, not for the company. At Paradiso Insurance, we recommend that our clients call us before filing any sort of claim with the carrier.
While hope that none of our clients will need to use these “first steps” after an accident, it is always important to know what to do.
For the full article on after accident tips from our friends at FindLaw, please visit https://injury.findlaw.com/car-accident/personal-injury-first-car-accident(1).html.