Car accidents happen quick and it’s hard to know what to do after one. To help you out, we’ve assembled a checklist for you to use after an accident or to keep in your car.
Please remember, your health and safety should be your number one priority. Do not put yourself in harms way just to take photos or assess damage. However, if conditions allow, follow the steps in this checklist to ensure you have the evidence necessary to prove your claim. Insurance adjusters have one job: pay you as little as possible. However, with evidence on your side, you make their job very difficult.
AT THE SCENE
1) GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. If you are hurt, it is better to call the police and paramedics and wait for help to arrive. Serious injuries can be further complicated by trying to move or get out of your vehicle.
2) GET TO SAFETY. Just because the initial accident is over doesn’t mean your out of danger. Be sure to assess where your vehicle has come to rest and get to safety if you’re still in danger.
3) GET A POLICE REPORT. Many drivers will ask to resolve an accident without involving the insurance companies or the police. However, this can often lead to trouble. A police report can help resolve issues when the other driver tries to change their story or tries to place you at fault for the accident. The police will often perform their own investigation and make their own determination as to which driver was at fault. They also collect witness information, insurance information, and owner information. This can be vital to winning your case. Be sure to get the item / report number from the responding officer.
4) TAKE PHOTOS. Take photos IF you can safely do so. These photos can help establish where the points of impact are, the extent of the damage, the distance traveled after impact, etc. Be sure to take photos from all sides of both vehicle as well as photos from varying distances. Also take photos of the entire scene. Be sure to also take photos of any visible injuries.
5) COLLECT WITNESS INFORMATION. If there were witnesses, be sure to get their names and contact information in case you need it later.
AFTER THE ACCIDENT
1) HAVE A DOCTOR ASSESSS ANY INJURY. Evidence is crucial in any lawsuit or insurance claim. Any injury needs to be documented by a doctor regardless of its severity if you want to receive compensation for that injury. Be sure to tell the doctor about the accident so they may document it in their records.
2) DEAL WITH THE PROPERTY DAMAGE. Your vehicle will either be repairable or deemed a total loss. Either way, you will need to deal with an insurance company and repair shop.
HOW WE CAN HELP
1) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. You will need medical treatment for your injuries. However, many medical professionals do not handle auto injury patients and, if they do, will require you to pay up-front for your medical expenses. Our firm has an extensive network of physicians and other medical professionals that we know will work with you. Beyond that, we will negotiate with them to make sure you do not have to come out of pocket!
2) PROPERTY DAMAGE. You will need to make several decisions regarding your property damage and we can guide you through those. We DO NOT take a fee on your property damage case!!
3) LAWSUIT / SETTLEMENT. The insurance companies will likely try to force you in to a settlement for far less than you are entitled to. Or worse, they may accuse you of causing the accident. We will walk you through how case value is established and fight to get you a fair resolution.
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