What Steps Do I Need To Take Right After A Car Crash?

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After a car crash, the first thing you should do is determine whether you, any of your passengers or any of the occupants of the other vehicle need immediate assistance or removal from the vehicle. There may be an elderly person or a very young child who needs help. Next, you should notify the police and be prepared to give them your name, cell phone number, the location of the collision, and the types of vehicles involved in the collision. If you feel it is necessary, you should call an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance or fire truck.

What Kind Of Evidence Should I Collect At The Scene Of An Accident?

At the scene of an accident, you should take photos of the other driver, the passengers, any skid marks on the roadway, any stop signs or traffic lights nearby, and any vehicles involved. Next, you should obtain the name, address, driver’s license number, phone number, and the license plate number of the at-fault person who was involved in the collision. You should also obtain insurance information from the at-fault driver, including their insurance company, insurance agent, policy number, and the insurance policy’s coverage dates. Most people have this information with them and will give it to you upon request. It is fairly important to locate any independent witnesses who may have seen the collision and request their name, phone number, home address, work address, and work phone number. You should determine whether there is any obvious security video equipment in the area surrounding the crash site. If the crash site is located near a service station or business that might have a video camera, they may be able to provide a video recording of the accident.

Should I Call The Police After An Accident?

You should absolutely call the police after an accident, even if the damages to your car and your injuries seem to be minor in nature. The reason that you want to do this is that your car may have some type of hidden damage that is not obvious to you but would be obvious to a trained automobile repair person. The same thing applies to your bodily injuries; they could be more serious than you initially realize. Your own auto insurance company will certainly encourage you to call the police to come to the scene of the accident so that a police report can be written.

Why Is It Important For Me To Get A Copy Of The Police Report?

It is important to get a copy of the police report as soon as you can. Most police accident reports will be ready after a few days. However, it could be several days or even a week or more before the report on a serious accident is available. The police report will contain a wealth of information, including answers to multiple questions, measurements, and observations made at the site, information on the other driver or the passengers, and information on any eyewitnesses. It may even include a short statement made by the at-fault driver or witnesses, which would be very helpful for you to have. You should read the report to make sure it correctly describes the accident.

Quite frankly, it is always to your advantage to get your claims settled as soon as you can after you have reached the maximum medical recovery. Getting a copy of the police report will shorten the time required to settle your claim. Most people who are in an accident and know they are going to get some money out of it want to get that money as quickly as they can. The investigators and your attorney will need to have this information in order to process your claim quickly.

For more information on Steps To Take After A Car Crash In Louisiana, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (225) 228-3450.