THINGS YOU SHOULD DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR CAR WRECK

There are some basic steps that accident victims should take to help them collect maximum benefits for their personal injury claims.

Some of these steps are outlined below. I hope you find them helpful in your claim.

I have outlined some of these mistakes below so that you will not make these same mistakes. I hope these suggestions will help you collect a full recovery for your claim

1. Call the police or other law enforcement officers.

You should, as quickly as possible, call the police or other law enforcement officers. If you are physically unable to call the police, ask someone to do so for you.

2. Remain Calm.

If you feel that you have been seriously injured, it is usually best to stay in the car. Try not to show anger. Do not accuse anyone and do not admit fault yourself. Do not discuss the accident with the other driver. Remember, anything you say here could be used against you in court.

3. Call a family member or a trusted friend.

You should call, or have someone call for you, your closest relative or a trusted friend to come to the scene. You will, undoubtedly, be caught up in the excitement and stress of the collision. You will, therefore, need a person you trust to observe the collision scene and do certain things that may be necessary that may not occur to you.

4. Obtain detailed information.

Obtain the other driver's name, address, phone number, license plate number, make and model of car, driver's licenses number, name and owner of the car, and insurance company. Be sure to gather this information for all vehicles involved in the wreck. Also write down all names, addresses and phone numbers of other individuals involved and witnesses to the accident.

5. Refrain from discussing the details of the collision.

Do not discuss your accident with anyone except the police. That includes your insurance adjuster. You may speak to your adjuster about your vehicle but not about accident facts or your injuries. Many times, people make the statement to the other driver and to the police officer that, "I am not hurt," "I am O.K." or another similar statement. Of course, the insurance company will use this statement against you, both in evaluating your case and in court. You can be certain that the jury will hear that you made the statement that you were not hurt immediately after the collision. This is extremely unfair to you. That is why it is important not to make such a statement even if you do not think that you are hurt. Of course, do not misstate any facts to anyone, especially law enforcement officers. However, you should understand that you are not a doctor and you may not know whether you are hurt or not. You could be seriously injured even though you do not realize that you are injured at the time or soon after the wreck. When someone asks you "Are you o.k.?" or "Are you injured?Tell them that you can not tell how badly you have been injured.

6. Be sure to make pictures of the wreck scene or have a bystander make some for you.

Many people now have cell phones that have the capacity to make photographs. If you do not have one of these, keep a disposable camera in your vehicle. If you can do so safely, take photographs of all vehicles from various angles. Photograph the street scene, including traffic control devices such as stop signs, yield signs, or stoplights. Be sure to photograph any skid marks or any physical objects such as stop signs, light poles, or guardrails that may have been struck by a vehicle. Take photographs of the other driver's passengers and witnesses if possible. If your cell phone has the capacity to make videos, take several of these showing the entire scene. If you are physically unable to make these photographs, ask someone to make them for you.

7. Have yourself examined completely and carefully by a competent health care provider.

Even if you do not go to the hospital in an ambulance, you should never-the-less be checked out thoroughly by a doctor of your choice or in the Emergency Room. You should do this even if you do not think you are hurt. Many times, the victim of a motor vehicle collision does not feel pain initially and does not they he or she is hurt. Later, however, these victims begin to experience a great deal of pain, discomfort and stiffness. It is not always easy for a wreck victim to determine if he/she has suffered broken bones or other serious injuries. That is why you should be checked out thoroughly. After the collision, you should go to the hospital before you go anywhere else. If you delay medical treatment, the insurance company will argue that you must not have been hurt and that, otherwise, you would have gone to the Emergency Room or to be seen by a doctor immediately.

8. Report the collision to the other driver's liability insurance company.

Do not assume that the other driver will report this collision to their insurance company. You should put the other driver's insurance company on notice immediately so that they will have the opportunity to examine the facts of the collision. You should also notify your own insurance company of the wreck even though you do not intend to make a claim under that policy.

9. Check your own insurance policies.

As soon as you are physically able, be sure to check your own insurance policies, as well as the insurance policies of any member of your household. It could be that there are benefits that you can recover from these policies. There could be important additional benefits from your own insurance policy or the policy of a family member.You should find out about these benefits even though you are making a claim against the other drivers' insurance policy. An example of these benefits are Med-Pay insurance, which will pay up to the limit of the Med-Pay coverage for all of your medical expenses. It is important to check your policy for uninsured motorist coverage and under insured motorist coverage which is discussed elsewhere in this book.

10. Give contact information to the other drivers.

You should give your name, address, phone number, and the name of your insurance policy to all other drivers. However, be careful not to make any statements about the facts of the wreck, how it occurred, whose fault it was, or any other matter to the other driver(s). Of course, you should talk fully and truthfully to law enforcement officers, as well as health care providers.

11. Secure your car.

If you go to the hospital in an ambulance, be sure that your car is secure and that the contents of your car are safe. All valuables should be removed from your vehicle and it should be driven safely off of the road. You, of course, will not be able to do this yourself. However, you can ask someone (preferably a relative or a trusted friend) to do this for you. Many times the investigating law enforcement officer will help you with this. However, you need to discuss that issue with the law enforcement officer and be sure that your car is properly secure.