What to Do After a Car Accident

A question a lot of people have is what to do immediately following an auto accident. If you or your loved one has been injured, there are several very important things to carry out to ensure you have all the information you will need to win your case.  Being able to carry out the below steps will depend on the severity of your injury.  If you are too injured to do the below and a passenger is available, let them take over these duties.  If no one is available and you are too badly injured, call an attorney immediately to handle and sort out this information for you.

Keep a cell phone, paper, pen and camera in the car at all times. In case of an accident, you will have everything you need to document the damages and take down insurance information. It’s also a good idea to keep a health card in the car to disclose any information about allergies or medical conditions if a serious accident occurs. A list of contact numbers is handy for law enforcement if you lose consciousness. Road flares and cones can also be stored in the trunk for added safety.

If the accident is minor, meaning no or only slight injuries, the cars should be moved to the shoulder of the road. Move all vehicles and debris out of oncoming traffic. This is also where the road flares and safety cones come in handy. Leaving vehicles in the middle of the road can cause further damages and/or injuries.

If the car accident has caused serious property damage, serious injury or death, one of the first things you should do is call the police.  Ask the police officer to file a police report and obtain the name and badge number of the police officers at the scene.

Make sure to get all the information allowed from the driver and passengers involved in the accident.  From the driver, you will want to receive their phone number, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and all basic insurance information.

Witness information is important information.  One thing that helps with information from witnesses is that it is usually not biased, meaning they don’t have a favorable viewpoint in the accident.  Ask each witness what they saw and heard before, during and after the accident.  If they agree, get the their names, telephone numbers and addresses so that you and your attorney can contact them at a later date.

With the surge of smartphones in our world today, many people have the ability to take pictures wherever they are.  If you have a camera available at the accident, take pictures of the scene.  If you do not have a camera readily available, taking some pictures of the damage done to your car and any injuries you have sustained will be helpful.

Calling an attorney immediately after you have been injured in a serious car accident will greatly help you in sorting out all the details of what to do next.  An attorney will also prepare you for handling medical bills and your insurance company.

If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, we welcome you to call Sacramento car accident lawyer, Moseley Collins – (916) 444-4444 – there is no fee until we win.

Moseley Collins
980 9th St, 16th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 444-4444
http://www.moseleycollins.com/