What To Do If You Are In A Motor
Vehicle Accident
When a motor vehicle accident occurs, it is easy to become confused
and forget to acquire necessary information. Even a minor accident
can leave people nervous and shaken. It's a good idea to keep
a checklist of phone numbers to call and questions to ask in
the same folder as your insurance papers, in your car glove compartment
or console. Then when you need them, everything will be in one
place.
- If anyone is injured, call the police for help and tell them
you need medical assistance. If anyone involved seems to be
under the influence of drugs or alcohol, tell that to the police
when you call for help. Always call the police whether there
are injuries or not. Many insurance companies will not cover
an accident unless there is a police accident report. Once
everyone is safe, you can get the other information you will
need.
- Your insurance company will need: Full names, addresses and
phone numbers of everyone involved, including drivers, passengers,
pedestrians who might have been involved, and any witnesses.
- Try to find out if anyone is injured or
says he is injured; or if anyone said "I am fine".
- Make as many notes as you can about the accident itself.
Get information about the other vehicles involved, such as
license plate numbers, make and model. What was the weather
and lighting like at the time of the accident? Were any of
the involved vehicles damaged? Was any of the damage obviously
prior to the accident, such as tail lights or brake lights
not functioning? Were any of the vehicles company-owned?
- Be sure to find out the insurance status of all vehicles
and persons involved. If any drivers were not the registered
owners, get the registered owners' names, addresses, and phone
numbers.
- Did anyone take blame for the accident?
- Get the names and badge numbers of any police officers who
come to the scene.
- You may wish to contact a personal injury attorney immediately.
He may wish to examine the evidence at the site and gather
as much information as possible.
- Contact your own insurance company as quickly as possible.
If you feel that, for any reason, your company may not be willing
to cover the accident, you should consider contacting a personal
injury attorney first. However, do not delay in contacting
your insurance carrier. Most insurance companies have requirements
in the policy as to how quickly you must contact them, and
failure to do so might mean your claim will be rejected. On
the other hand, you should not answer any questions or make
any statements to the other drivers' insurance companies until
you have consulted an attorney. Be polite, but decline to discuss
any aspects of the accident until you have obtained legal advice.
- If you have been seriously injured, you will probably be
taken directly to a hospital emergency room. If you are not
seriously injured, however, do not assume that you are uninjured.
Many injuries from vehicle crashes, like whiplash, do not show
up right away. If you do begin to suffer ill effects from the
crash, notify your health professional immediately, get yourself
checked out, and follow the doctor's instructions as to care
and follow-up. Failure to get medical care might have serious
consequences if you have latent injuries that only show up
24-36 hours later. Do not neglect symptoms that are unfamiliar,
or pain that appears hours later. Report any symptoms to your
doctor, however slight. Serious back injuries can start out
as nothing more than an aching back, but left untreated they
can cause major health difficulties. Furthermore, if you do
have problems your insurance company will need proof that the
problems were diagnosed and treated promptly, and that the
problems were related to the accident.
- If you can get a camera, it is wise to take as many photos
as possible of the accident site, the vehicles, and people
involved, and any thing else that might have bearing on how
and why the accident occurred. Pictures taken as soon as possible
will be the most valuable. If you do not have a camera, you
might be able to buy a disposable one at a nearby convenience
store, or ask a passenger or bystander to purchase one for
you. Don't forget to take pictures of the damage done to all
vehicles, license plates, evidence such as street signs or
lights, skid marks, etc. If you have an attorney you plan to
call, tell him you don't have a camera. He may be able to send
someone from his office to take the needed photographs. Be
sure to also tell your attorney about any other evidence you
think might be important, such as faulty street lights or signage,
malfunctioning equipment (seat belts, turn signals, etc.),
weather conditions, etc.
What You Need To Know:
Insurance companies' obligations are to their stockholders
and policy holders, not to the people injured by their insured's
negligence. Insurance companies' desire to maximize their own
profits provides them with every motivation to try to deny your
claim or pay you the very minimum amount that they can get away
with. The insurance companies also have enormous advantages:
they have immense wealth, armies of experienced adjusters and
lawyers and years of experience reducing and denying claims.
At the Law Office of Stephen A. Burroughs,
our only obligation is to you, our client. We will use our experience
and every resource available to protect your interests, and we
will work hard to help you receive the full value for your case.
We will advise you every step of the way to help you avoid any
mistakes that could cost you money. There is no charge for attorney's
fees until you recover money for your personal injuries, and
we will also help you resolve your property damage claims for
no fee whatsoever. For assistance, call today at 1-877-300-3773, contact
us or submit
an free online case evaluation.
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