Being involved in a car accident is stressful, but knowing the right steps to take can make all the difference. This article outlines the steps to protect your well-being, preserve important information, and secure the best possible outcome, including when to involve a car accident attorney to handle your case.
1. Move your vehicle to a safe location
Immediately after the accident, it is important to move your vehicle to a safe location, if possible. The purpose of this is to help prevent additional collisions and the potential for further injury and damage.
If someone seems injured or unable to move, do not try and move them yourself to avoid risking making the injury worse.
2. Check for injuries
Once your vehicle is in a safe position, or if it cannot be moved, the next step is to check for injuries of all occupants in the vehicle. Knowing whether everyone is okay is more important than making sure your vehicle is not damaged, as injuries can demand immediate attention.
3. Call 911 (ambulance and police)
Once you’ve determined if anyone is injured, and even if everyone seems alright, call the police and an ambulance.
The police will help you exchange information with the other drivers involved in the accident and should also help you collect information from any witnesses present so you can contact them later.
The ambulance will check the health of all occupants, to ensure that the excitement and adrenaline associated with the accident do not cover any injuries. The police will make a report of the accident, which can be used later as evidence for your case.
4. Gather evidence
Make sure to leave the scene with the contact information of all the other drivers and any witnesses present.
Take photos of the accident if you have a camera or smartphone available, as once the cars are removed from the scene it can be difficult to determine their exact positioning in the accident.
Whatever evidence you are able to collect at the scene will help your case later.
5. Notify your insurance company
Reaching out to your insurance company will kick-start the process of having your immediate costs covered like medical bills and repair expenses.
However, additional costs outside of that, like lost earnings ability, long-term medical expenses, and others, will be collected from the at-fault drivers in the accident.
Determining fault and collecting evidence to assemble your case is best supported by a car
accident attorney.
6. Hire a car accident lawyer
Your car accident attorney will review the evidence available, begin to collect additional evidence, and assemble the best possible claim for your case.
Your attorney steps into your shoes, and handles your case and claim for you every step of the way so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries while your attorney focuses on recovering the fullest damages possible for your accident.