What To Do Immediately After You’ve Been In a Car Accident

A car crash happens about every 6 minutes somewhere in the US. Almost everyone will become involved in one at some point, so you’re far from alone when you need to take action after a collision.

Here, we’re going to give you a step-by-step guide on how you can begin getting compensation after a car accident. Read on to learn a few things that you need to do immediately following a crash.

Call the Police and EMS

You’re likely going to feel anxious and out of control after a car accident. This is especially true for those who are injured. It’s important to power through these feelings and immediately call 911.

This phone call will bring emergency medical services to the accident site. You can talk with paramedics, see if you need to go to the hospital and get a ride there if your injuries necessitate immediate care. Your safety is the #1 priority after an accident, so take care of yourself.

If you do need to go to the hospital, you’ll have the chance to talk with the police or with lawyers later.

It’s important to note that some people should go to the hospital even if they have no visible injuries. Some people sustain internal injuries after serious actions. You can wait until you file a police report if you’re not in pain and have no visible injuries, but you still might want to get looked at to be on the safe side.

File an Accident Report

A 911 call will also bring local police to the scene of the accident. You and the other driver will have the opportunity to fill out an accident report showing what took place. It will include verbal descriptions, diagrams, and important facts about the accident.

This report will go to your attorney once you hire a lawyer. They will use it as evidence when building your case, so you must ensure that all the information is accurate.

When talking to the authorities, you must be careful not to say anything incriminating. Don’t apologize for the accident in any way, even if it’s just a formality or you’re trying to be polite. Don’t admit that anything is your fault and don’t talk about what you did or didn’t see on the road.

Saying the wrong thing can be taken as an admission of fault, even if there is no admission. It’s best to let the police do their work and make their judgments.

Gather Evidence

Though you shouldn’t say anything incriminating, there are a few things that you must do while waiting for the authorities to arrive on the scene. Take down the information of the other driver(s) involved in the collision. Their names, phone numbers, and email addresses are a good place to start.

Take a photo of the other car’s license plate. Jot down the make, model, and color of the car on your phone.

Then, start gathering information like:

• Photos of damage to your car
• Photos of damage to the other driver’s car
• Photos of the exact site of the accident
• Photos of any injuries that you sustained
• Photos of any injuries the other driver sustained (if they allow it – you may need to exchange photos of your own for them, which is good because it ensures everyone has all the facts)
• Street names and the directions you were facing when the crash happened
• The time of day that the accident took place (as precisely as possible)
• What medical attention you might require
• Eyewitness accounts (if available)

You can put these into a notepad or an app on your phone. This will keep them easy to access when talking to the authorities (and, later, to your lawyer).

Avoid Common Mistakes

You should never post any images you take on social media. You should not talk about the accident online at all. Doing so might make the opposing insurance company think that your injuries were not that bad since you’re talking about them.

It also will put information out there into the world, and so much as telling a grandparent that you’re okay publicly can weaken your case. Keep the accident and any details about it offline. Only discuss it privately.

You also can’t wait too long to file your claim. In Arizona, the car accident statute of limitations expires 2 years from your accident date. If you wait this long, you won’t be legally able to file a claim or request any compensation.

However, it’s best not to wait this long, either. Unless you’re undergoing serious medical treatment for life-threatening or debilitating injuries, insurance agents and judges may take you less seriously if you wait too long. They’ll wonder why you didn’t file a claim sooner if you were truly looking for compensation after a crash that caused you to suffer.

Other common mistakes include excluding information about the case when talking to your lawyer and not asking enough questions. Your attorney will be your teammate. You need them in your corner, and when you’re honest with them, they can figure out how to best help you.

Get a Car Accident Attorney

Once you file a police report and get medical assistance, it’s time to begin talking with your insurance agency. But doing so without a lawyer can be detrimental to your case. You could easily say the wrong thing by no fault of your own and find yourself unable to get the compensation you’re due.

A lawyer specializing in car accidents will help you to talk to insurance companies. They’ll see what you can get from your own insurance company. They’ll then negotiate with the opposing lawyer to begin the process of getting fair compensation.

To get the damages you’re due, though, you’ll need to hire an experienced and reputable lawyer.

Read Online Reviews

At Sweet Lawyers, we pride ourselves on having the best personal injury lawyers in the Tuscon area. Our Arizona car crash attorneys have over a decade of experience and a 98% success rate. Everyone working for us is committed to involving clients in the litigation process via frequent text, email, and phone updates.

We’re confident that we’re the right choice, but we understand the need for thorough research. Look at online reviews of our law firm to learn more about what we do. You’ll get insight from past clients about what we do to make ourselves stand out.

You’ll also learn what types of cases we handle and what people we’re best equipped to help. This will give you an idea of whether or not we’re a good fit.

Consult With a Lawyer

Many people conflate consultations with commitments, but they couldn’t be more different. A consultation is completely free of obligation, and with the right lawyer, it will also be free. It’s just a chance for you to talk with the attorney before hiring them.

You will get a feel for their disposition so that you can understand what they do. You’ll see if your personalities, values, and goals are a good fit. You also will have the chance to assess how communicative and transparent they are.

Some questions to ask at the consultation include:

• How much experience do you have?
• Do you specialize in car accidents?
• What is your success rate?
• What is the average settlement in cases like mine?
• How much do your services cost?
• How do you take payment? (Up-front, contingency, percentage, etc)
• How much time will you dedicate to my case?
• Will you personally handle my case? If not, who will?

If the attorney you’re speaking with dodges your questions or refuses to be open in their responses, that’s a sign to look elsewhere. Any lawyer worth their salt will be happy to talk about their credentials and values.

Compile and Discuss the Evidence

Once you hire a lawyer, it’s time to compile evidence. This means taking out the photos and information that you gathered at the accident scene and sharing it with your attorney. They’ll examine this evidence and try to find more.

Your lawyer will look into your medical bills, proof of lost wages, and more to determine the scope of financial damage done to you. Make sure that you don’t begin to file your claim before you’re done with all required medical treatments. Talk to your lawyer if you’re not sure whether this is the case or not.

They also will try to gather more evidence of the accident if it’s available. This might mean requesting security footage of the site so they can see what happened. It also might mean going out to the accident site and examining it for hazards so they can better determine what took place.

Learn About Available Compensation

Once your lawyer looks at all the evidence available, they’ll tell you what kinds of compensation you can receive. Different cases have different damages, and no two scenarios are the same. Some damages you might be able to get include:

• Money to cover medical bills
• Coverage for lost wages
• Damages for temporary or permanent disability
• Noneconomic pain and suffering damages
• Money to cover car repairs and property damage

Your lawyer will let you know what you’re eligible for. They’ll also tell you what to expect in terms of the amount of money you can recover. This sum will depend on how at fault you were, what circumstances the accident took place under, and how much money you lost as a result of the car accident.

Undergo the Litigation Process

Once you know what kinds of damages to expect, your attorney will begin the litigation process for you. This means that they’ll start talking with the defendant’s insurance agent or attorney to reach a settlement. The goal of your attorney is to get as much money as possible in the settlement.

This is where expert assistance is critical. Some people think it’s financially viable to try and negotiate on their own, but this almost always proves detrimental to the process of receiving damages. Someone who has never undergone litigations won’t have the expert knowledge needed to do legal work.

An attorney doesn’t just have a specialized understanding of settling car accident cases. They also have experience with insurance agents (and in many cases will have talked with the same agent multiple times). They know how to avoid verbal traps and pitfalls that could inhibit your ability to get your due.

This negotiation process will usually take about 30 days to complete. You’ll be given several offers until arriving at a fair one. Your attorney will keep you posted about what the offerings are so that you can be involved in the decision of when to settle.

You mustn’t settle your case too quickly. Insurance companies aren’t going to give you a very high settlement in the beginning. They want you to take it because it’ll be the lowest offer they make.

Don’t let them lowball you. Follow your lawyer’s advice to make sure that you get a fair settlement. After all, you want as many funds to cover your damages as possible.

Hire a Lawyer to Help Your Case

While collisions are stressful and traumatizing, an attorney can help you get compensation so that you can get your life back on track. Now that you know what immediate steps to take after a car accident, it’s time to get started. At Sweet Law, we’re committed to providing you with top-notch services and contingency-based pay.

Our 98% success rate makes us confident in our ability to assist those who have recently been involved in car crashes of any magnitude. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and see if we’re a good fit.