Immediately following a car accident, there can be many things going on at the same time making it easy to lose focus and forget to take all the actions you need. spend. Not to mention, depending on the severity of the crash – your ability to think rationally and clearly may be impaired. But there is no time to lose. Here is a list of ten things you need to do after a car crash:

  1. Get medical care – If you can, call 911 and make sure everyone involved gets the necessary medical attention from professionals.
  2. Notify the police – Call the police. It is a mistake to assume that “everything will work out” or that the driver who now takes the blame will later tell the same story to his insurance company. Police officers are trained to document the crash and take statements from those involved. This is critical information when it comes to finding out what really happened.
  3. Gather the information – Get the information of the other driver(s). List your name(s), address(es), phone number(s), and license number(s) as well as your insurance company(ies) and policy number(s). get the information from the police officers. Write down your numbers, police badge number, and write down the police report number. Obtain information from any witness(es). Write down their names and contact information – do this quickly because many witnesses leave without making sure everyone is “okay.”
  4. Take photos – Almost everyone has a cell phone with a decent camera. If you can, and if it’s safe, take photos of everything. Photos of the damage and position of the vehicles before they are moved can be very important. If you can’t take photos, ask a passenger or independent witness to do it for you. But again, this should only be done if it can be done carefully. After you get home, take pictures of your injuries too, including bruises, cuts, or bandages/casts. Back up photos so they are protected in case something happens to the originals.
  5. Don’t talk about guilt – If you were at fault, or if you think you may have been at fault, do not make any statement or say anything that could be taken as an admission of guilt. Even if the other driver admits guilt, he doesn’t argue, he can proceed to an argument. However, he should speak honestly with police officers and his OWN insurance company describing exactly what happened.
  6. Take notes – As soon as you can, write down everything you remember. Document what happened, the road conditions, what was said afterwards, if any citations were issued and what injuries, if any, were sustained by those involved. Put these notes, along with all the information you collected, in a folder so you can have everything in one place. Draw a sketch or outline of the accident scene. It may be months or years before the accident is fully resolved.
  7. Call your insurance agent – All insurance policies require that you notify your insurance company when you are involved in an accident. Do this soon, the day of or the next day, or Monday if the accident happened on the weekend.
  8. Add to your notes – During the next days and weeks you will surely make many phone calls and/or exchange several emails. Document everything by noting who said what and the dates and times they were said. Remind yourself not to discuss fault with anyone-especially other insurance representatives of others involved. Make a note of any medical treatment you receive including the dates and names of the doctors and care received.
  9. Call a personal injury attorney – You need to protect your rights. Unlike many people, personal injury attorneys dedicate their professional lives to working against insurance companies and protecting the rights of injured victims. An attorney who focuses his practice on personal injury law is best suited to assess what needs to be done in order for you to be fully compensated and to protect your interests. Most personal injury attorneys offer free initial consultations.
  10. Be careful – Everything you do and everything you say (including what you say/post on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) can come back to haunt you later – even if you think you did it in confidence or posted privately on your social media account. If you feel the need to post things, keep your posts honest and factual, avoid embellishment or frivolous or flowery posts related to your accident.

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