You may be unable to think clearly after a car crash because of the emotions and trauma associated with the accident. Furthermore, the disorientation may cause you to make mistakes that may not only further jeopardize your health and those of your loved ones but also limit your right to get full and fair compensation from negligent drivers. Learning what to do after a road crash will help you to protect your legal rights and strengthen your claim against the liable party.
Ensure everyone is safe
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After the crash, the first step you should immediately take is to make sure that everyone is safe. You can exit the vehicle if you are able to, turn on the hazard lights, and set up flares around the vehicle to alert other drivers that there has been an issue.
Call the Police and Ambulance
You should then call 911 for an ambulance and/or the police to the scene immediately, especially if someone has been injured. However, if the accident was very minor, you can call the police and get the police report. You should stay at the scene until you are released by the law enforcers.
Gather information
Once you have made sure everyone is safe, you should start collecting evidence such as taking pictures of the vehicle and the damage sustained after the crash. You should take close-up pics and pics from all angles to capture the extent of the damage and the condition of the road among other things.
Furthermore, you should exchange contact information with witnesses. Such information includes the people’s names, phone numbers, addresses, and even the driver’s license plate number. Additional information to collect includes the model of the vehicles involved in the incident, the accident report number, and information of any officers at the scene.
Avoid discussing in-depth about the case
Do not admit fault, even if you think you are the one who caused it because you could be wrong and may weaken your case. Moreover, the other driver may also be partially to blame, or the problem could be highway construction negligence, bad road design, or negligence from the vehicle manufacturer.
Even apologizing for the collision may be misconstrued and prevent you from obtaining any compensation from your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company. Instead of apologizing, you can ask whether the other driver is okay or needs any assistance.
Additionally, do not say you are not hurt after the accident because some internal injuries are not immediately noticeable. On the other hand, do not tell lies because they will only undermine your credibility. You can simply admit you don’t know whether you have been hurt and that you will seek medical attention to determine the extent of the injuries.
Contact an attorney
If you live in Florida, you should immediately contact an experienced car accident lawyer in Boca Raton to get the best settlement and offer the best services possible.
Conclusion
After a serious car accident, you should ensure everyone is safe, call an ambulance and the police, gather evidence, avoid admitting fault, and contact an attorney immediately for more legal advice on the particular incident.
