What Should You Do After a Car Accident
At Fielding Law Group, we deal with car accident victims everyday. A car accident is stressful. There are injuries, wondering what you’re going to drive if your car needs to be repaired, missed work, bills, insurance companies and more. We are here to take a lot of that stress off of you, so you can focus on what’s most important, your health, and getting your life back to normal.
So what should you do right after the accident?
1. Make sure you’re safe
If you can, pull the car off the roadway and away from any further danger. Park the car, and turn it off. Make sure you weren’t hurt, and don’t have any injuries that need immediate treatment. If you it hurts to move, don’t do anything, wait for help before you do anything. If you’re able to move around pain free, you should get out of the car. If you are unable to move your vehicle out of the way of traffic, and you weren’t harmed in the crash, get out of the car, when it is safe to do so and move to the far side of the roadway. If you’re certain that you weren’t harmed, check any passengers, pedestrians, or other drivers involved for injuries. If anyone was harmed in the crash, contact 911 and get help right away.
2. Call The Police
Whether an accident is considered a minor fender-bender or a major collision, calling the police is important. Once the police and first responders show up, they will access the accident scene and gather the information they need to file an accident report. If the police can’t come to the scene of the accident, you can go to the nearest police station and complete a report yourself. Your attorney, and insurance company will request a copy of the accident report, so it is important to get have this done.
3. Don’t Accept Blame or Liability
In some instances, your car insurance company may deny your claim if you accept blame or liability for the crash. And what can be even worse, you may think it is your fault and then later find out it was caused by the other driver, so don’t assume anything, or accept fault, just let the police file their report, based on what they see and the information they gather at the scene. Do not provide any more information than is necessary, but try to be polite and helpful. Only talk about the incident with the police, medical professionals, your car accident attorney or any other professional involved in the accident, but speak to your attorney first, before speaking with the insurance company.
4. Exchange Information with the Other Party
After ensuring that you or anyone else involved in the accident was seriously injured, exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver. This is the information you’ll need to provide:
- Full name and contact information
- Insurance company and policy number
- Driver’s license and license plate number
- Type, color and model of vehicle
- Location of accident
When speaking to the other driver, if either of you are upset, it’s best to use the police to exchange information. Don’t discuss fault, argue or overshare information with the other driver. Fault will be determined by the information provided by you and the other parties involved in the accident, and any supporting documentation, like the police report or photographs from the scene. Use your auto accident lawyer to talk to and negotiate with the insurance companies.
4. Get Treatment for Injuries
Make sure you track all of your treatment procedures, and send everything to your personal injury attorney. Make sure you are checked out by a doctor, in many cases your injuries may not start to affect you for a few weeks, or even months. You want to make sure that any injuries sustained in the accident get taken care of. Get the medical care available, you don’t want to have these injuries affect your quality of life for years to come, your medical care will be covered by the insurance. Listen to your attorney, they will help you navigate through this process based on the information from your care team.
5. Let Your Car Accident Attorney Help You Through This Process
The process after the car accident, and dealing with the insurance companies, medical bills, and anything else can be very confusing. Let your attorneys help you through this, and handle this for you. Don’t take on more stress than you need to. It’s a complicated process and it can last for months, don’t get overwhelmed. At Fielding Law Group, we make sure you understand each step, and know where your case is at all times. We’re here to protect you, and make sure you get the treatment and care you deserve. If you have any questions, ask your legal team.
Fielding Law Group Car Accident Lawyers
Fielding Law Group has offices throughout Washington and Idaho, call one of our car accident attorneys near you. We have years of experience and work hard to make sure our clients get what they are owed.
There are many moving parts when you get into an auto accident in Washington and Idaho. The weather factors into driving conditions, certain laws are complicated, and you need a professional auto accident attorney that you can trust. If you live in or near Seattle, Tacoma, Kennewick, Yakima, Moses Lake, Everett, Olympia, or Royal City, WA, or in the Boise, ID area, we have a car accident attorney available for a free consultation today. Our auto accident lawyers take the time to give you expert advice and the opportunity to leverage your position. Auto accidents are unpredictable making it difficult to sort through the facts, work with your insurance company, and still handle your day-to-day workload. Fielding Law Group takes care of your car accident needs for you and your family to offer the best possible outcome.
Call us today and schedule your free case evaluation.