The average American drives thousands of miles every year or more, depending upon where he or she lives, works, and the activities in which he or she is involved. Given the number of miles driven, and the related time spent on the road, car accidents are, unfortunately, common occurrences. Luckily, many accidents are minor, with no injuries and minimal property damage involved. Other accidents are much more severe and involve severe injuries and death.
Immediately after nearly any type of car accident, you can and should take certain actions to help protect yourself. First and foremost, all reasonable efforts should be taken to secure the accident site. This will most likely involve one of two courses of action.
If the accident is somewhat minor, try to move the vehicles out of the way to avoid further injury and damage. If the cars cannot be moved safely, divert traffic around the accident scene. Such action, however, should be taken only as appropriate. During the course of moving the cars involved or immediately thereafter, you should contact the appropriate authorities.
If the accident is severe, involves an individual trapped in his or her vehicle, or if fuel or other flammable liquids are spilling from any vehicle, contact the appropriate authorities immediately and set up markers or other barriers, if possible, and keep a safe distance. If you are severely injured, pinned in your car, or otherwise cannot escape the accident, call 911 if possible. If other individuals are at the accident scene that can assist you, specifically direct one of the individuals to call 911. If you think you have any type of neck or back injuries, do not move unless you are doing so to escape some other more immediate danger.
The time that passes waiting for the authorities to arrive is an ideal time to take photographs. These include photographs of your car, the other vehicle, the accident scene, and any other relevant evidence. Clear photographs of all vehicles and other physical evidence, such as utility poles, barriers, fences, etc., that may have been damaged, should be taken. While it may not seem useful at the time, pictures of all pre-existing damage are important. This allows you, your attorneys, and the attorneys for the insurance company to relatively easily determine what was related to the accident. The cameras on cell phones are very useful for taking such photographs.
During the time you are waiting for the authorities, it is also helpful for you to take notes about what happened. You will probably need to fill out a police report, but sometimes the information asked for is limited. You should include in your notes as many details as you can recall, including the weather conditions, the time of day, the degree of traffic, and the details of the accident. Memories quickly fade, and it will be helpful for you to have these notes in the future.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, there will be many things to consider going forward. In order to recover everything to which you are entitled, you may need to file a lawsuit. Regardless of whether a lawsuit is necessary, hiring an experienced attorney who can assist you through the process and make sure you are recovering all the damages to which you are entitled will make things easier. The professionals at Barrett Law PLLC, have experience representing the injured. We are here to help you the difficult days, weeks, and months ahead. Please contact us today at (800) 707-9577 to schedule an appointment.