What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident

Being engaged in a car crash can be quite a hassle and overwhelming matter. Nevertheless, how one deals with the situation immediately after crashing can strongly influence one’s safety, legal entitlements, and even the prospect of winning any claims made to an insurance or legal company?

The knowledge of the appropriate measures to take will help keep one composed and organized during what can otherwise be a highly confusing situation. An experienced New York City car accident lawyer will help you to know the steps that you need to follow after a car accident. They will gather evidence and fight to get the justice you deserve. Here are the important actions to do right after a car collision.

Seek for Injuries and Make Sure Everything is Safe

No matter the nature of the accident, the first priority is utmost safety. If the vehicle can be moved without putting other people at risk of injury, the car should be driven to a spot that is safer. The intention of this action is to reduce the possibility of being involved in further accidents. Dealing with a crash like this makes it easy to make the surrounding cars aware of the situation. If the vehicle is too damaged to drive and does not feel safe driving, you might as well leave the car as it is but turn on the hazard lights to alert other drivers.

In case there are other passengers, it is important to make them aware of their surroundings. In a situation where someone is elderly, it would be wise to call 911 immediately. Even if the person is not feeling injured, there is a high likelihood that certain injuries such as skeletal injuries etc. do not show symptoms immediately. If there is ever a light feeling of discomfort or pain, getting medical help would be strongly advised.

Make a Police Report

In case of an accident, especially with injuries and disputes in the picture, the attending police need to be informed of the accident. Even if the incident appears minor in the initial overview, attending police should be notified so they can register a report. A police report serves as a written record of the incident that occurred, and could be useful for insurance claims or legal matters in the future.

Ensure that you comply with the police’s instructions on arrival. Do not admit liability or make declarations that could lead to misinterpretation. Avoid irrelevant conversation and limit your narration to what is important. This police report will help in establishing liability as well as evaluating the losses.

Collect Required Data

In case of an accident, information is important. Even the minor details surrounding the other vehicles involved, their passengers as well as witnesses should be taken in. Here’s a list of what you should recollect:

1. Contact details of all parties involved that includes names, addresses and phone numbers (drivers, passengers, and witnesses).
2. Drivers License numbers, as well as license plate numbers.
3. Insurance company details with their policy number, and alternative contact options.
4. The vehicles make, model, and color.
5. What were the accident details such as location, intersection or street?
6. At least what was the damage sustained by the vehicles involved? Were there any signs of traffic? What were the road and weather conditions? What other features were there in the area that could be considered relevant.
7. Take down the contact info of any witnesses to the accident. Their testimony might matter in case there is a dispute about what happened.
   
   

Do Not Apologize or Accept Responsibility for The Accident

If a person is injured, it’s normal for other people to feel the urge to apologize, but you need to back away from admitting fault. Most of the time responsibilities are not that clear from the very start and apologizing can work against you when insurance companies or lawyers analyze the incident. Facts only will help you and everyone else cut through the clutter. Let the police and insurance investigators have all the evidence they need to draw conclusions.

Inform your insurance company

Once you have secured everyone’s safety and collected all relevant information, reach out to your insurance provider without delay. Depending on what insurance company you have, there is a window in which you are required to report accidents. Again, there is no need to blame anyone when explaining, simply state the event as it happened, and make sure to add all information you collected from the location of the incident, police reports, and contact information of other, if any, parties.

Keep evidence of the claimed injuries and damages

If you have any damages, make sure you obtain proof for every possible claim. Make sure notes are recorded for each medical visit, any diagnosis, treatments received, and symptoms experienced in the aftermath of the incident, including in the following days. Cuts or bruises (and other visible injuries) should be photographed along with progress on how they change over time.

Also, note any possible damages to your vehicle along with estimates for repairs. This information will be crucial in assisting you with the insurance claim and if you need to take legal action as well.

Seek the Help of a Car Accident Attorney

If you feel that the damages or injuries that you have suffered from are quite severe or if liability concerning the accident is clouded, consulting with a lawyer would be prudent. A professional attorney can assist you with the legal and insurance aspects of your claim to make sure everything is done properly so you can receive the compensation that you deserve for your injuries and damages. In addition, they can help you appreciate your legal entitlements and assist you in negotiating with the insurance firms, which can oftentimes be very aggressive and complex.

Need legal help? Contact an attorney

What you do right after facing a car accident can greatly impact your recuperation and the relief that is rightfully yours. Remember to take safety first, contact the police, obtain all relevant details, and report the case to your insurance company. Most importantly, do not accept responsibility, and seek legal representation if necessary. These steps will enable you to deal with the repercussions of the accident, while also ensuring that your legal interests are safeguarded.