If you have been in a car accident, there are a number of things you should do afterward. Some of them are pretty intuitive but there are some that may not be. You may not immediately start thinking about talking to personal injury lawyers but if you have been hurt, it does make a lot of sense to start thinking about this. Here are some things that good personal injury law firms suggest doing after a motor vehicle accident:
- Call 911. When an accident, you have to call the police. This is especially important for you if you did not cause it. Even if the other driver took off from the accident, you need to get your version of what happened to the law enforcement officers. This does a few things for you. You will have documentation of the accident and its severity. Experts say that no matter what size of accident you are in, the police report can make a world of difference in your case.
- Get the treatment you need for your injuries. In some cases, the accidents are so bad that you are taken to the hospital in an ambulance. If that is not the case, you should still have your injuries looked at. Good motorcycle accident attorneys will tell you that when it comes to these kinds of accidents, there can be injuries that are hard to see. After any kind of accident, there can be internal injuries that are hard to see. You will do your personal injury lawyer no favors if you delay getting the medical treatment you need for your injuries.
- Be careful about what happens to the vehicle you were driving. If you are injured, you should wait for help to arrive to get you out. If you can, stay where you are just put your blinkers on and stay put. If you can, you should try to move your vehicle to the shoulder or side of the road. Just be careful as you exit the vehicle, especially if there is a decent amount of traffic.
- Collect as much evidence as you can. If you are able to stay with your vehicle, you should take as many pictures as you can. These are not images that will hang in a fine art photography exhibit, they will be used to prove your case. Photos from phones work great. Take some video of the area. Take pictures of the car but also look at the road. There may be evidence on the road or around the area. Get as many images as you can. Look to see if there are any video cameras in the area that may have gotten footage of what happened.
- Take the time to talk to everyone around the accident. Write down or take a voice recording of what you remember. Try to talk to the people who saw what happened and get their comments on the accident right after it happened. Human memory is not perfect and it fades very quickly. In addition to this, make sure you get specific information from witnesses and the other parties in the accident. If you cannot get this but have a police report, some of it might be there. Make sure you get:
- People’s names, contact and insurance information.
- The license place numbers for all vehicles involved as well as their makes and models.
- The names of the law enforcement who responded.
- Keep your mouth shut. People often have a tendency to ramble when they are upset. After an accident, whether they were hurt badly, a bit, or not at all, people are shaken up. Do not tell everyone at the scene what you think you did wrong. Remember to breath and take your time with the police when they arrive.
- Find a good personal injury lawyer. This can be a challenge but getting the right one will make a big difference. Know what kind of lawyer you need. You know you need a personal injury lawyer but you may want to get one who has experience in the kind of accident you had.
Nothing will erase the experience of an accident but these tips can make a difference in how you get over it.