If possible, take pictures of the accident scene and any damage. This can be helpful evidence in a claim for damages.
What To Do After a Car Accident
Get immediate medical attention. This is important because insurance companies often argue that you were not injured due to the crash if your injuries are not documented in your initial medical records.
Call the Police
It is essential to call the police if you are injured in a car accident for several reasons. First and foremost, it is against the law to leave a crash scene without reporting the accident. Additionally, the police will help gather information for an official accident report that will be useful when dealing with insurance companies. It is essential to be careful when talking with the police officer. Never admit fault or blame anyone for the accident, and only provide information that is asked of you.
Contacting the other driver’s insurance company to verify coverage while at the accident scene is also a good idea. However, please do not provide accident details to their insurer until you are away from the crash scene and have time to think about what you are saying.
Get Medical Attention
Getting medical attention is one of the most important things you can do after a car accident. Even a slight injury can turn into something serious without prompt care.
Pain and other symptoms often don’t show up until hours or days after an accident. This is because the stress of a car accident triggers your body to release adrenaline and other emergency hormones, masking pain signals.
If your injuries aren’t life-threatening, visit an urgent care doctor. These doctors have longer clinical hours than your primary care physician and can often see you for a quick examination.
It is also essential to follow your doctor’s treatment plan. This not only helps you heal but your records will be used to verify the severity of your injuries to the insurance company and any jury that hears your case.
Hire an Attorney
Insurance companies often try to contact people soon after a crash. They want to talk to you so they can record your statements and use them later to deny or reduce your claim.
Hiring a car accident lawyer Greenville NC right away is essential so they can protect your rights. They will know how to gather the right evidence and prepare a demand letter for compensation from the at-fault party.
They will also be able to bargain with the insurance company and keep them from exploiting you. Insurance adjusters will pay close attention to the type of follow-up medical treatment you receive and any fees such as co-pays or lost work time. They will look for medical records from years or even decades before the accident that might show you already had an injury, so they shouldn’t have to pay for your current one.
Take Photos
One of the most important things you should do after a car accident is take photos. Taking images of the damage to your vehicle, any debris on the road, and skid marks might help an insurance adjuster determine the cause of the collision.
Also, taking photos of your injuries is a good idea. This includes cuts, bruises, broken bones, etc. These might be used to demonstrate the extent of your injury.
Wide shots of the accident scene are also helpful in documenting weather conditions, time of day, or other factors that may have contributed to your crash. Having these details will support your claim in court. If you cannot take the photos yourself, ask a witness or someone else to do so.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Even if the crash seems minor, you should report it to your insurance company. This is important for many reasons, including that most car insurance policies require you to do so.
You should also take a photo of the other driver’s insurance card so that you have a record of their name, their insurer, and their policy number. Similarly, you should take a photo of the police report if one was written up at the scene.
Be very careful when speaking with the other driver’s insurance representative. They want to uncover information that could be used against you in future settlement negotiations. You should avoid giving any recorded statements if possible. Providing recorded statements can be used against you in court.
