Most people have been or will be involved in a car accident at some point in their life. It is important to know how to handle this incident, should it ever happen to you. Always reach out to a car accident lawyer, like a lawyer from Greenspan & Greenspan P.C., if you are involved in an accident. You want to make sure you are compensated fairly in the settlement or that you know when to take your case to court.
Call an Ambulance if Necessary
If there are any serious injuries from the accident, you need to get paramedics to the scene right away. This is a crucial step, as they will be able to help you and anyone else who was in the accident with critical injuries in a timely fashion. Serious injuries can be life threatening and often can make a big difference in the amount of time you have to help someone. Do not hesitate to take this step. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Take Pictures of the Scene
Having photos of the scene of the accident can make or break your insurance claim. It can also greatly affect your case, should it go to court. Your car accident lawyer will know what photos are important to use and what pictures may not be important to show in court. There is only one chance to get pictures from the actual accident scene, so do not waste this opportunity. It is always better to have too much evidence, rather than not enough.
Call the Police
A police report can be valuable in both an insurance claim or in court for a car accident case. This is because the officer will offer an unbiased, trained opinion on what likely caused the accident and who was probably at fault. The officer will collect valuable information such as weather from that day, road conditions, and information from each of the parties present. The officer can also take witness statements that may be valuable in the future.
Collect Information from Each Party Involved
You should always get insurance information and contact information from the other party so that you can reach out to him or her in the future to settle all of the claims. It is also important to take note of their vehicle — such as the make and model, license plate information, and anything else that may be significant. You also should collect information of any witnesses who saw what happened. It can be great to get a statement from them while the accident was still fresh. A police officer can do this, or you can ask them to write down what happened or record an audio file on your phone to use at a later date. You will want to share all of this information with your lawyer.
Contact a Lawyer Today
Do not hesitate to retain the assistance of a car accident lawyer. Personal injury cases all have a statute of limitations they must follow, so if you do not file on time, your case will be thrown out.
