What Should I Do Immediately Following a Car Accident?
Key Highlights:
- Following a car accident, put your safety and that of others at the top of your priorities.
- Contact emergency services, regardless of how minor it seems.
- Take photographs of everything and get names before anyone leaves.
- See a doctor after a car accident right away, even if you do not feel any pain.
- Inform your insurance about the collision, but only stick to the facts.
What Should I Do Immediately Following a Car Accident?
In case you need any help concerning the collection of evidence from the automobile accident site, the collection of evidence in an automobile accident, filing a police report after an automobile accident, and the insurance exchange after an automobile accident, I will provide you with a free consultation with an automobile accident lawyer.
I am Robert Tatum, and I am a lawyer at Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm. Since Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm is a well-established law firm, we have over 65 years of experience guiding our clients as far as advice and guidance about what actions should be taken after an automobile accident and all sorts of automobile accident insurance claim cases.
A Timeline of Actions to Take After a Collision
Knowing what to do after a car accident is critical. A collision is capable of shaking your brain. One moment you are driving a car, and the other you are standing on the side of the road with your heart racing, and you have no idea what you should be doing first. The decisions you will make right after the accident and for a few days can influence many things.
First Minutes, First Priority: Your Safety First
Do not consider photographs or a car accident insurance claims before making sure that everyone is safe. Look after yourself and any passengers for injuries and switch on the hazard lights. The decision whether to move your vehicle depends on circumstances.
If the accident is a small one, everyone is fine, but if both cars are in danger, it will be better for you to move your car to the side of the road or to another convenient place.
In case of significant injury or damage, or if you doubt that it is safe to drive, stay in your car and try to move away from the street. In such a case, use warning signs if you have them.
Make Sure That You Have Your Police Report
For everything bigger than just a scratch, call 911. A police report after a car accident will give you the official record of the event:
- information about people involved
- observations by the officer,
- and a preliminary description of the incident.
It will play an important role later when disputing with insurance. And you are also obliged to report it under the Virginia law
Be honest about the facts with the police when they arrive on the scene. No guessing, no overstatements, and do not say that you may be at fault in a car accident. Make sure that you know how to obtain a copy of the report or at least the report number.
Check for Injuries: Even those that have yet to occur.
The body produces adrenaline, which acts as an analgesic. Many times, one walks away from the accident feeling fine, only to wake up the following morning finding oneself unable to move one’s neck. Whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries manifest several hours or even days after the accident.
Thus, even if you feel alright immediately following an accident, monitor yourself for the next 24-72 hours. Dizziness, headaches, numbness, stiffness, stomach pains, and sleep disturbances are some things to look out for.
Exchange Information Properly
Exchange insurance information after an accident with the other party involved, but keep it concise and professional. Information that you should exchange includes: Full name and phone number, Name and number of the insurance provider, Driver’s license number, Vehicle License plate number, Model, make, and color of the car.
Stay neutral. There is no time to assign fault in a car accident or apologize; any phrase such as “I’m so sorry” can easily become an admission at some point later. Just get the facts straight and keep going.
Documentation While The Evidence Is Still Fresh
This is when your mobile phone comes in handy. Document the car accident scene by taking as many pictures and videos as possible:
- Wider shots showing both cars and where they stood in relation to one another
- Close-up shots showing all the damage done to each vehicle
- Skid marks
- other pieces of evidence, and
- the location of impact
- Traffic signs and signals
- road and weather conditions
- all visible injuries, and then,
Take note of what you remember while things are still fresh in your mind:
- the time of day
- the direction the cars were traveling, and
- anything that happened just before the collision
- If someone is around, ask him or her for contact details. Witnesses can help immensely with a disputed claim.
Look For Proof That Won’t Last Long
Some of the best car accident evidence doesn’t last very long. The dash cam footage is easy to overwrite. There might be business cameras in the area, but they’re only going to be good for a few days.
Any debris is cleaned away, and the marks left by your tires are going to wear away. It’s always worth noting cameras on buildings or fleeing witnesses.
Get Medical Attention: Don’t Wait To See If Everything Is Okay
There are two reasons why you should see a doctor after a car accident right away.
- The first is that it ensures your health by finding any injuries that you don’t know about.
- The second reason is that it makes a medical record that links your injuries directly to the accident.
Two weeks later, the insurance company is going to say that there was another cause of those injuries.
Contact Your Own Insurance Company: Be Mindful
You must report the crash to your insurance company about the accident since almost all insurance contracts require this to be done. Be prepared to provide them with the basic information regarding time, place, and the identity of those involved in the accident. The last thing you want to do is try to assign blame or assess the extent of your injuries.
If at all, the other party’s insurance company gets in touch with you for a statement, you may take your time with it. You can take your time to seek professional legal advice and then make your statement.
Keep All Paperwork
Make a file, whether it be virtual or actual, and keep all the documents related to the accident: Bills from medical facilities, car repairs, rental estimates, missed workdays, and lost wages documentation. Daily brief notes about your health status and symptoms also need to be documented.
Why Early Blunders Are Important
Fault in a car accident plays a crucial role in a case, and the specifics of its effect on compensation can differ depending on the laws of each particular state. In some states, partial fault on your part will decrease, and in certain states, even completely preclude you from getting compensated.
For this exact reason, all of the details surrounding the accident become relevant; even something trivial, such as a poorly worded apology or assumptions regarding how fast you were going, can turn around and bite you.
Stay focused on the facts of the matter. In case of injury, contested liability, or an unreasonable offer from an insurance adjuster, it might be reasonable to use a car accident lawyer free consultation right away. Professional legal advice during the first days will help you preserve the car accident evidence and not make those minor mistakes that will cost you in the long run. Car accident lawyers typically provide free initial consultations.
Need Help After a Car Accident? Contact Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm
Knowing what to do after a car accident means seeing to it that all people are safe and then securing all the evidence. Make sure you are safe, get help, document the car accident scene, consult the doctor, and report the facts without accepting any blame.
Perform these steps, and you will have done the compassionate and pragmatic as well as possible under such circumstances, and you will be in a good place in case of any car accident insurance claim.
Contact us at (800) 529-0804 for a free evaluation. We work on a contingency fee, and therefore, you do not pay us anything until you get your compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions!
I feel fine after the accident; do I really need to see a doctor?
Yes. Feeling unwell at the scene is absolutely understandable, as adrenaline blocks the sensation of pain, and certain injuries may appear later on the next day. Whiplash and concussions, for example, might be diagnosed after one or two days. You should see a doctor after a car accident, not only to stay healthy but also to create a record of injury associated with the accident.
Should I admit fault if I think the crash was my fault?
No. Of course, one should show regret and apologize, but at the moment when an accident occurs, you do not have enough information to determine the fault in a car accident, for the simple reason that there are many reasons for an accident.
What photos should I take at the scene?
Take photographs of a wider area where the two vehicles came to a standstill, with all visible damage, skid marks, debris, and the point of collision, to document the car accident scene. Photograph any traffic signals, signs, lane lines, weather, and road conditions at the time of the accident. Take photos of any injury you may see as car accident evidence.
Do I have to call the police for a minor accident?
This is generally a good habit, no matter how minor the damage is. A police report after a car accident is objective documentation and will come in handy in case the other party tries to deny their claim or becomes injured as a result of the accident.
Should I give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company?
It is also not mandatory for you to do this. In addition, adjusters are specially trained on how to ask questions that will put you in a situation where you give statements that will later damage your car accident insurance claim. There is nothing wrong with telling them that you will come back to them after getting a car accident lawyer free consultation. It is completely different from when you report the crash to your insurance company.
