By: Capital Injury Law
What to Do After a Car Accident: A Guide from Capital Injury Law
Table of Contents
Do you know what to do after a car accident? Being involved in a car accident can be an incredibly stressful experience. However, it’s important that you remain calm and take the necessary steps to ensure your safety, as well as that of any other drivers or passengers involved. AAA has a lot of good information about what to do immediately after a road service emergency. The Washington State Office of the Attorney General has some good basic information available on their website as well. In this blog post, we will provide a step-by-step guide on what to do after being in a car accident.
Remain at the Scene of the Accident
The first step to take after being involved in a car accident is to remain at the scene until it is safe for everyone involved to leave. Do not leave until you have exchanged information with the other driver, such as contact information, insurance information, and license plate numbers. If you are able to move your vehicle off of the road, do so. If not, turn on your hazard lights and wait for help.
Check for Injuries
The first thing you should do after a car accident is check for any injuries. Make sure everyone is safe and make sure to call 911 if you or anyone else needs medical attention. If possible, try to move your car away from traffic in order to avoid further collisions. After ensuring that you remain at the scene, check yourself and all passengers for injuries. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately and get medical attention if necessary. Even if no one seems injured, it’s still important to seek medical attention from a doctor – sometimes injuries from car accidents don’t show up until days later. Call a reputable Personal Injury Attorney at Capital Injury Law for a free consultation.
Exchange Information
After checking for injuries, exchange information with all parties involved in the crash. Be sure to take down their names, contact information, license plate numbers, insurance companies and policies numbers, and vehicle makes and models. It’s also important to note any eyewitnesses that may have seen the crash and can provide additional evidence of how it occurred. Once it is safe to do so, exchange information with any other drivers who were involved in the accident, including their name, contact information, insurance company name, policy number, vehicle make and model, license plate number, etc.
Document the Scene
If you are able to do so safely, it’s important to document the scene of the accident. Take pictures of the damage done to both cars and make sure you get photos from multiple angles. If possible, take photos of each vehicle as well as any physical damage or evidence of the scene (skid marks on the road, traffic signs/signals).
These photos can be used later as evidence if needed. It’s also helpful to take down notes about what happened during the crash as soon as possible while all of the details are still fresh in your mind—in case something happens later on down the road where this evidence could be beneficial. Talk to witnesses and get their contact information just in case you need it later. This will help solidify your claim with insurance companies later on if needed.
Call Your Insurance Company
Once everyone has received medical attention (if needed), call your insurance company as soon as possible after an accident occurs – most people call within 24 hours – even if there were no injuries or damages done during the incident. The sooner you call them, the more likely they are to be able to assist in resolving any issues that may arise because of the accident. When speaking with them, provide accurate details about what happened so they can start processing your claim right away.
This is such a crucial step in what to do after a car accident.
The Final Steps After an Accident
No one likes getting into an accident but what to do after a car accident can help simplify a complicated situation and minimize stress levels by ensuring your safety as well as that of anyone else who was involved in the crash.
By following these steps—checking for injuries, exchanging information with all parties involved, and documenting the scene—you will have taken actionable steps toward making sure everything goes smoothly after an accident has occurred.
Being involved in an auto accident can be a frightening experience. Knowing what to do after a car accident can make all of the difference moving forward.
- Make sure you remain at the scene of any accident until it is safe for everyone involved to leave
- Check yourself and all passengers for injuries
- Document what happened
- Call your insurance company immediately afterward – even if there were no apparent injuries or damages done during the incident – so that they can begin processing your claim right away .
Following these simple steps will ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible following an auto accident so that you can get back on track quickly and safely! You don’t have to what to do after a car accident, but it’s great that you’re trying!
Know What to Do After a Car Accident Includes Calling Capital Injury Law!
If you find you need legal representation for your injuries, do not hesitate to give us a call at Capital Injury Law!