The First Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Immediately After a Collision, Take the Following Steps to Protect your Ability to Recover Compensation

If you are involved in a car accident, the steps you take in the moments that follow can have a drastic impact on your ability to recover compensation for your resulting damages through a personal injury claim.

Stop and Get to a Safe Place

Stop your vehicle. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road and park on the median or the side of the roadway.

Call the Police

If somebody involved in the accident needs emergency medical attention, call 911 to have an ambulance dispatched to the scene. Otherwise, call the local police to have an officer sent. He or she will file a police report, which you can use to support your claim. Do not leave without a copy of this report. The report will include information like where the collision occurred, the time of day it occurred, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, and whether any of the parties involved in the accident were cited for violations like driving drunk or speeding.

Take down the officer’s name, badge number, and contact information as well. You might need to contact him or her for a statement later.

Take Photographs of the Accident Scene

Get out of your vehicle and take as many pictures as you can to sufficiently illustrate what happened and how you were injured. Take pictures of the skid lines on the roadway, the damage to both vehicles, your injury, and a few images of the location to demonstrate where and when the accident occurred.

Exchange Insurance Information with the other Driver

This is one of the most important steps to take after your collision. Get out of your vehicle and exchange automobile insurance information with the other driver involved. This can be an awkward step, but it is a crucial one because his or her insurance provider is the party with which you will file your personal injury claim. Do not admit fault, do not accuse the other driver of behaving negligently; these are discussions you will have with his or her insurance provider later. For now, you need the other driver’s name, insurance provider, and insurance policy number.

Gather Any Additional Evidence to Support a Car Accident Claim

Additional evidence to support your claim can include:

• Eyewitness testimonies of the accident; and
• Video surveillance from local businesses that depicts the accident.

In your personal injury claim, you must show how another party’s negligence caused your accident and your resulting injuries.

Work with an Experienced Nashville Car Accident Lawyer

After you leave the scene, seek medical attention for your injury as soon as possible. Once you have received medical care, contact our team of experienced personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Bednarz & Bednarz today to set up your initial consultation with us to discuss your case further.