When you get in a car accident, you will be feeling unnerved or a little frightened. While this is natural for anyone in this situation, an auto accident is also one of the few times when it’s especially important to act rationally. You can respond to the situation with greater calm if you know what to do. This guide can help you protect yourself from a financial and legal standpoint immediately after the accident.
Assess the Scene
The first thing you should do after an accident is to evaluate your own medical condition to the best of your ability. If you can move, you should check on others at the scene of the accident to determine how badly they have been injured. You should also look for the nearest major intersection. All of this information will be useful when you call 911 for emergency response personnel. The information you provide will help the dispatcher determine what type of help to send and where to send it.
Gather Evidence
While you’re waiting for the police and other emergency personnel to arrive, you should use the time to collect evidence. Begin by getting the name, contact information, and insurance information from the other driver. You should also collect the names and contact information for any passengers or witnesses to the accident. This is also a good time to take pictures of the property damages that resulted from the accident. In addition to taking pictures of the damages to the vehicles, it may be helpful to take pictures of damage done to guard rails, trees, and other surrounding property.
Make a Statement With the Police
When the police arrive to investigate the accident, they may just ask one individual to provide a statement that describes the accident. If the other driver is the only person to provide a statement, the official police report will only contain their version of the events. To ensure the report is fair and comprehensive, you should insist on entering a statement of your own into the report. This will be your only chance to get your version of the story on the official record. Accident reports in Atlanta are useful in filing insurance claims and in building strong civil lawsuits, so you should also be sure to get a copy of the finished police report. Even if you have to pay a small processing fee, the cost will be worth it to have your own copy of the report.
Undergo a Medical Evaluation
Getting a medical evaluation immediately will benefit you in two ways. First, an immediate exam will help identify serious injuries that may not be producing noticeable symptoms. Internal bleeding, brain trauma, and spine injuries are a few examples of serious bodily damage that may not produce obvious symptoms. Diagnosing and treating these conditions early will improve your chances for a full recovery.
Secondly, delaying a medical evaluation can harm any injury claim you wish to pursue. The insurance company may view the delay as a tactic to maximize your claim by allowing your injuries to worsen. If the case goes to court, a judge may determine that delaying treatment made you partially negligent in causing your injuries to grow more severe. In that case, you may be limited in how much you can pursue in your claim.
Consult With an Attorney
As soon as you have the opportunity, you should also consult with a personal injury attorney. A lawyer can help you prepare for interviews with the defendant’s insurance adjuster so you won’t be pressured into making misleading statements. Additionally, your attorney can negotiate for a fairer settlement on your behalf. If the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement amount, you’ll save time by already having an attorney on your side. Since your lawyer is already familiar with your case, they can file a lawsuit in civil court without a delay. All of this will work in your favor as you pursue the damages to which you are legally entitled.
It’s important to do everything on this list as quickly as possible because your time begins to run out as soon as the accident occurs. There’s a statute of limitations on how long you have to seek damages in an accident claim. In most states, that time limit is two years. While that may seem like a long time, it goes quickly once you start the claims process.
