What to Do After an Auto Accident?
If possible, the first thing you need to do is to move your vehicle out of traffic and make sure you don’t leave the scene. Turn off the engine and call 911 if anyone needs medical assistance, but even if no one is hurt, you should notify the police to report the accident.
As soon as everything from above is done, you should start gathering information about the accident. When the time comes to file a claim, work with insurance companies, or give your auto accident lawyer more details to be used as evidence. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
Never accept or place blame on the other driver. This is yet to be determined with your insurance company and lawyer.
Take photos of the scene. Those should include license plates, other driver/drivers involved, any damage done to all the vehicles involved, the direction in which each vehicle was traveling, and the nearby traffic signs.
Exchange information with the other driver/drivers, including your name and insurance company.
These are the most important things to do, but you can also try and capture as many details as possible. You can start taking notes on your phone, gathering the following information:
The exact location of the accident
The speed at which you were driving
The exact time of the accident
Weather conditions
Time the police arrived, as well as their name and badge number
Road conditions
Witnesses names and contact information