What to Do When You Are In An Auto Accident

What to Do When You Are In An Auto Accident

Car accidents are an everyday occurrence, and people get hurt and sometimes even killed. Here are a few tips from a personal injury attorney as to what you should do.

First, if there are any injuries, call 911 right away. If no one appears hurt, still call the police to have them come and complete an accident report.

Take as many pictures as you can. This includes the cars around you so witnesses can be located, scene photos of the vehicles before they are moved to show location, and ones showing the damages to all the vehicles.

Exchange insurance and contact information with the other drivers (a cell phone picture of the insurance card works well).

Only discuss how the accident occurred with the police, and not with the other parties.

Write down names and contact information for any witnesses. The police may do this, but witnesses often do not wait around until the police arrive.

If you are injured, seek out medical attention sooner rather than later. You may not feel injured until a few hours later or even days later, but do not wait for the pain to go away.

After you get home from the accident, write down how the accident occurred and draw a diagram. Also write down anything else you can think of about the accident.

Call your own insurance company to report the accident and get a claim number.

Contact a personal injury attorney for a free consultation and follow their advice. They have dealt with this type of case many times, and they know how to handle it, while you likely have no experience with it.

Keep a diary to track your injuries, how you feel, what has happened, note any activities you missed out on, and anything else you think are related to the accident.

Do not post anything to social media such as Facebook or Twitter. Anything you tweet can and will be used against you in a court of law.

Also, this would be a good time to consider updating your insurance coverage. Review what insurance you have to ensure you have enough for the next time you are in an accident.