Your response to a car crash can affect your health and your case. Doing the right thing can significantly improve your chances of negotiating a fair settlement and recovering your losses. If you’re wondering what to do and how to protect yourself, read on to find out auto accident attorney in Orlando’s guide on reacting after an accident.
Tips for What to Do After a Car Crash
Call for Help
Car accidents can either be minor or fatal. The injuries can also be physical or internal. Car accident victims should not conclude that they are hale and hearty without a proper medical check to certify that. In some cases, internal injuries may take time to manifest, and not seeking medical attention may jeopardize your health and case.
We recommend contacting an emergency response team as quickly as you can after your accident. You should also visit a hospital for proper medical checks if there are no visible cuts or injuries. Doing this will help you rule out delayed symptoms or ensure that you get immediate help.
Getting medically assessed also adds to the evidence you have against the at-fault party and their insurance provider.
Avoid Arguments or Blame Acceptance
Car accidents are not as simple as they appear. You should not accept blame or apologize for the accident to the other driver. Doing this can be seen as accepting blame and can significantly impact your chances of claiming damages.
In addition, you should avoid playing the blame game or accusing the other party of causing the accident. Instead, exchange information with the other driver and take down as many details as you can gather from the scene.
Speak to Witnesses
Accident witnesses are an important part of your personal injury claim. They can corroborate your story in court and help increase your chance of winning your injury claim case. You should speak to the witnesses and take down their details, including name, phone number, and contact address.
Doing this adds more evidence to your soon-to-be-prepared personal injury claim.
Take Pictures and Videos
Evidence gathering is a huge part of your personal injury case. You need to be able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that you are a victim and that you deserve to be made whole for the damages suffered.
Grab your smartphone and take as many pictures, from different angles, of the accident scene. Ensure that the pictures show the extent of the damages to your vehicle and any injuries sustained. You can also make a video of the accident scene to get important details like the time and day of the accident, the parties involved, and more.
All of these will prove effective when demanding damages from the at-fault party and their insurance providers.
Request the Other Driver’s Insurance Card
Drivers should have insurance policies on their vehicles. Such policies can either be third-party or comprehensive. Although the police officers responding at the accident scene will only ask whether the driver is insured, you can go the extra mile to ask for their insurance card.
The insurance card may likely have the driver’s insurance limits on it. This gives you valuable information on whether the other driver is underinsured. You can speak to your attorney later about the type of insurance the driver has and how to proceed.
Please be advised to speak to a qualified and experienced lawyer before contacting any insurance provider, whether yours or the other driver’s.
Be Calm and Respectful
It’s easy to lose your cool when your vehicle has just been bashed in by an irresponsible driver. However, losing your cool may only aggravate matters. We recommend that you maintain calmness and be respectful throughout your communication and exchange.
You should also be calm when speaking to law enforcement officers or first responders at the accident scene.
Get Your Things from the Wreck
You may still be able to recover some items of value from your car if the damage is minimal. However, those chances are slimmer when you’ve been involved in fatal crashes.
If you can, we recommend getting all personal effects out of the damaged vehicle before leaving the accident scene.
Stay off Social Media
Many people get into accidents and post online to keep their friends and followers informed. However, this may be counterproductive for your case. Personal injury claims can be complicated, so we recommend staying off social media. If you can’t stay off, avoid posting any details about the crash on your social media page.
Get Legal Help
Insurance companies won’t give you what you deserve because you’ve asked nicely. They’ll consider their chances and offer you a lowball offer that most likely doesn’t cover your damages. Hiring a lawyer can help you better understand your damages and how much your case is worth. Your lawyer can also guide you through the dos and don’ts of personal injury cases.
Following the steps above will significantly improve your chances of coming out smiling on the other side.
