What To Do After An Accident

Car accidents occur every 60 seconds in the United States. That adds up to over 5 MILLION accidents per year! ¹ The chaos that is associated with an accident might make you disoriented causing you to forget to obtain vital pieces of information or cause you to worsen your injuries. In order to help, we put together a checklist to help make sure that you remain safe and properly document the accident.

What To Do After An Accident Checklist

(download our free checklist here!)

1. Make Sure You’re Physically Ok

   • If you are injured, try to call 911 or ask someone to do it for you.
   • Do not move if you are seriously injured.

2. Make Sure Everyone in Your Car is Ok

   • If you have passengers, check on them but be sure not to move if you are seriously injured.

3. Make Sure You Are in a Safe Area

   • If you can move, attempt to move to safety.
     • Check to see if your car is safe to drive to move it out of the road. If not, move yourself out of danger if you can.

4. Call 911

   • No matter the severity of the accident, call the police. The responding officers will have an accident report that will help preserve the scene.

5. Wait

   • Make sure your engine is off and hazard lights are on while you wait for help.

6. Exchange Contact and Insurance Information

   • Do not discuss the details of the accident with any other parties. When you speak to the others involved in the accident, just try to obtain the following information from them:
     • Full Name
     • Insurance Company and Policy Number
     • Driver’s License and Plate Number
     • Vehicle Description
       • Make
       • Model
       • Color
     • Accident Location

7. Self-Document the Accident

   • Get the name and badge number of all officers at the scene.
   • Obtain a copy of the accident report.
     • If one is not available on the scene, ask the officer where you can get your copy.
   • Take photos of the accident.
   • Get the names of everyone involved in the accident, including passengers.
   • Talk to witnesses and get their contact information.

8. Notify Your Insurance Company

9. Call an Attorney

   • Be sure to choose an attorney that has:

     • Experience

       • Our attorneys are the best trial lawyers in their areas of practice.

     • Free Consultation

       • We believe in our ability to win your case. You will not owe us anything unless we recover on your behalf.

     • Proven Track Record

       • You want an attorney that has taken tough cases and won. Our team is not afraid to take a case to trial. 

     • Unmatchable Dedication

       • Our attorneys work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the justice they deserve. They are not afraid of a challenge when a client’s well-being is on the line.

     • Qualities You Want to Work Alongside With

       • Lawsuits encompass an extended period of time and although we do our best to expedite that, you will still be working with your attorney for a while. Be sure you like them!
   • Questions to ask your attorney before you hire them:
     • Our capital partner, Frank Guerra, advises all who are looking to potentially file a lawsuit to ask their attorney these questions:
       • What’s the anticipated cost?
       • How often will we meet?
       • What is your commitment?
       • How will you handle fees associated with the lawsuit?

Tips:

• Seek medical attention, even if you are unsure of the severity of your injuries. Be sure to retain documents provided by the medical professionals for your court case.
• Avoid a quick settlement.
  • The insurance company might call and offer a sum of money to release them of future claims. Talk to your attorney before signing anything.
• Understand the statute of limitations for your case.
  • Each state has different limitations, but keep in mind the time frame in which you must file your suit. Your attorney can help with this greatly. (link statute of limitations article)

We hope that you are able to avoid all accidents and never need to utilize our services. However, if you find yourself in need of an attorney, we are here to help any time of day.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for more firm updates!

1. https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/tsftables/tsfar.htm