Things You Must Do Immediately After a Car Accident

Car accidents often cause confusion, fear and anxiety, and unfortunately, that often means that drivers who were not at-fault make mistakes that can haunt them when it comes time to make a legal claim. To help protect all your rights, here are some things you must do after an accident.

The first thing you should do is get the name, address, phone number and insurance company information of the person who caused the accident.

If you have a smartphone, it’s a good idea to take photos of the person’s identification and insurance card for future reference.

Obtaining information from the driver at fault is important, because if the driver decides to stop cooperating, there is a way to track the person down.

It’s also very important for you to take photos of the entire accident scene, your vehicle, and other vehicles involved.

This can be crucial, because it can help an accident reconstruction expert explain exactly how the crash occurred, which could bolster your legal claim.

Photos are also important to help establish the time of day the accident occurred, and whether bad weather was a factor in the accident.

But you should also take photos of any injuries that you suffered, which can be beneficial when your lawyer makes a demand for reimbursement of your medical expenses.

Take as many photos as possible so that you have a large number of images to choose from if evidence is needed later during the claims process.

It is always a good idea to contact the police after a car accident no matter how minor the crash may seem.

The reason is that the police will write up an accident report that will include the names of any witnesses to the crash.

The accident report becomes an official record of the crash, and police can also file the report with your local motor vehicle department if required by state law.

The other important reason to file a police report is that it will record any statements that the other driver made regarding the accident.

After you file a legal claim, your personal injury attorney can review the police report to find out exactly what the at-fault driver said at the time of the accident.

If that statement contradicts something the driver said at a later date, this can benefit your claim.

You should call your insurance company to inform them that you were involved in an accident that was not your fault.

This is important, because if you delay informing your insurance company about the accident, you could run into trouble with the at-fault driver’s insurance company who may question the validity of your claim.

If you decide to file a legal claim, you will need a personal injury lawyer with decades of experience handling car accident cases, such as the legal team at Fitch & Stahle. We have the resources to help you obtain rightful compensation. Call us today at (402) 494-3012 for a legal consultation.