Getting in a car accident is extremely stressful, no matter if someone was injured, or not, or if there was just damage to the vehicles. When we get into a crash, the most important thing is to check if anyone is hurt, and call the authorities if there is anything that cannot be easily resolved on the spot. Even though most of the collisions that happen are small, and there is no need for further investigation, you need to be prepared to prove your case, and show your innocence, and get the insurance claim without any additional issues.
Learning things after something bad happens is already too late, so you need to be prepared and know what to do just to ensure that you will make the right decision no matter what happens in the future. To help you know all the things you need to in case you are ever in a crash, we created this article. Keep on reading to learn some of the most important legal steps to take after a car accident.
1. Don’t touch anything
The first rule is that you should not touch or move anything that could seem like you are tampering with evidence. In case the accident was bigger and the authorities need to be involved, you should not move the vehicles, remove any debris or do anything that would change the way the scene looks. No matter if you are guilty or innocent, by changing the scene you will seem like you are trying to hide something or that you are trying to set the other person up.
2. Take your own pictures
When the authorities arrive, they will take all the necessary pictures of everything that has happened, but you should not rely only on this. Before anything happens, you need to take your phone out and document as many things as you can. Take pictures not only of the vehicles but also of the surroundings and possible road hazards that led to the collision happening. In addition to this, you should take photos of the injuries that you or anyone else has sustained. Note that this is only done in case everyone is safe and you have the time to do that without risking your health and wellbeing.
3. Contact your attorney right away
Right after the crash, you need to contact your attorney. No matter what happened or who it is to blame, you need to call your legal advisor. They will be able to talk you through the procedure, and they will give you tips on what to do, what to say, and how to protect yourself. It is really easy for everyone to get set up, and you don’t want to risk the other driver making things more difficult for you just because you were not aware of what could happen.
Having an attorney before anything bad happens is crucial, and as you can see on Paulsonandnace.com, the right advisor will put your interests first, and they will approach your case with all the needed knowledge and expertise.
4. Don’t apologize or confess guilt
When we get into an unpleasant situation, our first instinct is to apologize, no matter if the thing that happened was our fault or not. We want to check if everyone is fine, and in the moment of confusion we start saying that we are sorry. This could put you in a lot of trouble, so if you are ever in an accident, you should check if the other people involved are okay, but you should never apologize or list reasons for why the crash happened. Don’t confess guilt even if it was your fault, and never say that you looked at your phone even for a second or that you were distracted because of a family issue.
5. Talk to the bystanders
If there are any eyewitnesses to the collision happening, you need to approach them and ask for their contact information. Even though the authorities are going to do all of this, you will want to be able to contact them if needed. Talk to them, ask if they saw the accident happening, but don’t try to change their opinion or plant thoughts. Don’t give out information, and once again, don’t confess guilt or try to explain what happened. Have their information stored and share it with your legal advisor.
6. Get the contact details of the other person
Another thing that you should not fail to do is get the contact details of the other person or people that were involved in the crash. You should not only take their name and contact number, but you should also write down their license plates, take pictures of them, and have their insurance details as well. This is something that you should do as soon as possible, and you should share your data with them as well. Take photos of all these things, including their insurance card and ID so that you don’t make any mistakes writing things down.
7. Write down important information
One thing that many people forget to do is write down all the important information that comes with the collision. You should write the date on which the crash happened, the street or road you were on, at what time it happened, where the nearest cross street is, if there were any extreme weather conditions that could lead to the accident happening, which direction you were traveling, and you should also write down why you think the accident happened. You should share this only with your attorney and you should put this information on paper as soon as you can right after the crash.
Don’t forget to contact your insurance company after the collision happens, so you can tell them what happened and ask for the next steps forward, and if you are feeling bad or if you feel that you may be injured in any way, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Accidents happen, and there is always a way to prove your innocence but you need to be careful about what you do right after the crash, and you need to have a good team of lawyers so you don’t get set up for something that was not your fault.
