The days, weeks, and even months following a car accident can feel like a blur. Your normal life can be eviscerated, leaving you riddled with uncertainty about how to make ends meet and minimize the impact your accident injuries have on your life. But as you’re reeling from the aftermath of your wreck, you have to know what you can do to protect your interests moving forward. This requires you to be aware of what you need to do in the moments following an accident, which can be hard to think of in the heat of the moment.
That’s why in this post we want to break down what you should do if you’ve been injured in an accident. We realize that you might not be able to take all the steps identified below on your own, especially if you’ve been seriously injured, but hopefully you have a loved one who can help.
Steps to take after your car accident
To properly navigate your accident and any resulting legal case, you need to make sure you’re taking the proper steps. This includes:
- Calling the police: You’re going to need an accident report if you want to file an insurance claim or pursue a personal injury case. Also, a police report can give you additional evidence to support your case, as the officer will often include key information about the accident scene.
- Exchanging information with the other driver: Be sure to exchange contact and insurance information with the driver who hit you. That way you’ll know which insurance company you need to reach out to and where you can send legal service if you end up filing a lawsuit against the driver who harmed you.
- Talking to witnesses: There were probably several people who saw your accident. You’ll want to gather their contact information and a brief description of what they saw so that you can reach out to them if you file lawsuit.
- Taking pictures: Photographs of the accident scene can be key in proving liability, and they can help an expert determine causation if that’s in question. So, try to capture vehicle resting positions, tire marks, traffic signs and signals, impact points, vehicle damage, injuries, and anything else that you think might be helpful to your case.
- Being careful with what you say: Although there’s going to be a lot of conversations after your accident, you need to be really careful with what you say. If you come across as apologetic or make other statements that indicate that you’re at all to blame for the accident, then those statements will probably be used against you later on to deny your insurance claim or reduce or deny your recovery through a personal injury case.
- Seek treatment: If you want to recover from your accident injuries, then you’re going to have to secure medical treatment. But doing so can also generate the evidence that you need to show the extent of your injuries. So, make sure you follow your doctor’s recommendations.
Protect your interests throughout your personal injury litigation
Although a car accident claim might seem easy to present and win, these cases are often fraught with nuances. If you don’t know how to address them, then you’ll be at risk of losing out on the compensation that you need and deserve. That’s why you’ll want to do everything you can after a car accident to protect yourself, your recovery, and your future. If you have more questions about how to do that, then please continue to browse our website.