5 Things To Do Immediately After An Accident

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What do I need to do if I get injured in an auto accident? It’s distressing and hard to remember what to do after you have been in an accident.

1.  Stop Your Vehicle:

  • Stay safe. Assess the situation for your immediate safety. Stay in your car if there is a risk of injury or if moving might put you at risk of further injury.
  • Move to a safe location if your car is creating a safety hazard or obstructing traffic. Do not leave the scene of the accident!

2.  Determine If There Are Any Injuries.

  • Call 911 immediately to report the accident and get help to the scene, if needed.
  • Follow any instructions the police give you.

3.     Take Photos

  • Use your phone to take pictures to document the scene if it is safe to do so.
  • License plates of the cars involved.
  • Damages to your vehicle and to other vehicles.
  • Objects at the scene, including accident debris, skid marks, fallen branches, etc.
  • Street signs or other landmarks to identify the accident location.
  • Any contributing factors to the accident, such as obscured traffic signs.

4.     Gather Information

  • Be courteous and polite, but do not admit fault.
  • Take the names and car insurance information of any drivers involved in the accident.
  • Provide your name and insurance information to the police and to the other driver(s).
  • Find Witnesses. Get names and contact information for any witnesses to the accident.

5.         Call a Lawyer

As you may know, if you are involved in an automobile accident case, there are many situations where the driver of the other vehicle had no automobile insurance or had automobile insurance in the least amount that can be carried. It is, therefore, necessary for us to know whether or not you have a policy of automobile liability insurance and whether you have purchased uninsured motorist coverage on that policy. For more information about uninsured motorist coverage, read our prior blog.

Feel free to contact us to speak with a member of our legal team, schedule a consultation or simply ask questions about how we can help.