How to Protect Yourself After a Car Accident

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Being involved in a car accident is not just traumatic—it also sets the stage for a series of legal and financial challenges that can affect you long after the event. Knowing how to protect yourself in the immediate aftermath can make a significant difference in handling these challenges effectively.

Ensure Safety First

Immediately following an accident, your priority should be safety. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away to get medical assistance. Even if the injuries seem minor, symptoms can appear or worsen hours or days later, so it’s essential to seek medical attention.

If the vehicles involved in the accident are causing a hazard and can be moved safely, shift them to the side of the road to prevent further incidents. However, if there are serious injuries or fatalities, it's best to leave the vehicles untouched until EMS and law enforcement arrive.

Call the Police

No matter the severity of the accident, calling the police is a crucial step. A police report serves as a valuable piece of documentation when filing an insurance claim or dealing with legal matters. The report will contain an objective assessment of the accident scene, details of the involved parties, and sometimes an initial determination of fault, all of which are critical when navigating post-accident procedures.

As an extra note, make sure you get the names and badge numbers of the responding officers and ask how you can obtain a copy of the accident report. Having this information will ensure you’re always able to track down the original report.

Document the Scene

While waiting for the police to arrive, use your phone to start documenting the accident scene. Here are a few suggestions:

• Take photos from different angles of the vehicles involved, focusing on areas of damage. Also, photograph road signs, traffic signals, skid marks, and any environmental conditions that might have contributed to the accident.

• In addition to photos, it’s a good idea to take a panoramic video of the entire scene. And, if people are comfortable, you might even ask witnesses for a quick recap of what they saw.

• Use your notes app to jot down notes of any physical evidence that might be valuable later on, including clothes you’re wearing, debris in the road, or other factors such as weather conditions.

If there are any injuries, document these as well, if possible. This visual evidence can be crucial in insurance claims and legal disputes, helping to establish facts that words alone might not convey.

“In our experience, insurance companies and their adjusters often try to low-ball how much they will pay for your medical expenses, your lost wages, and other damages,” attorney Joel M. Vecchio says. “In other words, many insurance companies are more focused on protecting their own bottom lines by undervaluing your claim instead of paying you what you deserve.”

When you have evidence like this, you have indisputable evidence that can back you up and give you something concrete to stand on when making your claim.

Exchange Information and Gather Witnesses

Exchange information with the other driver(s) involved in the accident, including names, contact information, insurance details, and vehicle registrations. Be polite, but avoid discussing the details of the accident or admitting fault, as this can complicate your legal and insurance claims later.

If there are witnesses who saw the accident occur, ask for their contact details as well. Witness statements can provide an independent perspective of the events, which can be invaluable in corroborating your account of the incident. Should things ever progress far enough to need a trial in court, having witnesses will be critically important.

Notify Your Insurance Company & Lawyer Up

Soon after the accident, notify your insurance company and start the claims process. Provide them with all the gathered information, including the police report number, photographs, and witness details. Be honest and thorough when describing the incident. Some insurance companies offer mobile apps that allow you to upload photos directly and fill out an accident report, which can speed up the claims process.

If the accident involves significant property damage, injuries, or if the liability is complex, consulting with a car accident lawyer can be beneficial. Legal advice can be crucial, especially if you face potential litigation or if the other party's insurance company disputes your claim.

Look Out for Yourself

As a general rule of thumb, it’s not always best to look out for yourself. You want to be the kind of selfless person that puts others first and is kind, generous, and caring.

However, there are moments and situations in life where the best thing you can do is look out for numero uno. This is certainly true in the aftermath of a car accident, when everyone else – including insurance companies with billions of dollars in resources – are going to do everything possible to discredit you and minimize what they owe you.

It’s important that you have a game plan for how you’re going to protect yourself after a car accident – before it actually happens. This article has provided some useful suggestions, which should allow you to put together a pretty solid plan that will set you up for a much more favorable outcome.