Car accidents can be traumatic experiences that inhibit a person’s ability to think clearly when they need to be on point. Moreover, if individuals do not take the proper steps, they can lose the opportunity to recover, leaving them with thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses. In order avoid potential risks AFTER a car accident, the following five easy tips are rather critical: 1) Get the other driver’s contact information; 2) Take pictures of the accident; 3) call the police and request an official police report (particularly if you are NOT at fault); 4) See your doctor immediately; and 5) contact an attorney.
- Get all of the necessary information from the other driver in a collision. It is important to obviously get the other driver’s license information, but it is also pertinent to get their license plate number, and their insurance information. Rather than worrying about writing all the information down, or even, knowing which information is important, it is far easier (and more efficient during a stressful time) to pull out your smart phone and take a picture. Today’s technology is so advanced that in a moment you can document all important information. Better yet, email the information to yourself or your lawyer, to maintain the document for all future correspondence. I cannot tell you how many clients come into our office with half of the information, and worse, claim they wrote the rest down and lost it. When you are in an accident take a photo of all of the other driver’s information before leaving the site of the accident.
- Take pictures of the accident at the scene. Again, I must reiterate: take pictures of the accident at the scene. The reason for this is that a picture at the scene of the accident in the current state can tell an attorney, judge, and/or potential juror a great deal about the accident and whom the responsible party is. The angles and tire marks of the cars can help determine who was at fault in the car accident. Additionally, it is a good measure to take close ups of the actual damage to help substantiate your claims, but always remember to take as many pictures as you can at the scene of the accident. Once you take these pictures, email them to yourself or your lawyer immediately to avoid losing critical evidence necessary to help yourself after the incident.
- Request a police report. This goes double if it appears you were in the right as far as who’s fault the accident was. If you want to cover yourself, do not be afraid to simply call the police (I always suggest the non-emergency line) and ask an officer come out and write a report. A police report holds significant weight in the court of law and can help you avoid the other side from changing their story and trying to put all the blame on you.
- See your doctors immediately. This should go without saying, but whether you think you are injured or not, it is always a good idea to play it safe. Very often people cannot see, or even initially feel, injuries they sustain in an accident. Injuries, particularly to areas like the back, can often arise days, weeks, and even months after the initial accident. As such, it is always a good idea to go see your regular doctor after an accident just to make sure everything is ok.
- Contact your attorney or one of the helpful lawyers at the Lipton Legal Group. Many people are frazzled after an accident and further, do not know their legal rights. It is always a good idea to get a free consultation with an attorney to make sure you do not get stuck with a hefty medical or repair bill.
I hope these five tips were helpful, though I pray all of you never have to deal with this issue. Accidents are scary, and seeing a lawyer could even more dreadful. Nonetheless, take the proper steps to protect yourself and always be proactive in these situations!
-Kevin Lipton, ESQ
Managing Partner – Lipton Legal Group, A PC – Beverly Hills, CA
Read more about the Importance of Seeing the Right Doctors at: https://www.liptonlegal.com/the-importance-of-the-right-doctors-and-personal-injury/