Auto accidents are jarring, and our minds often need a moment to process the shock of what happened. Once the mental fog has cleared, the first step is to check if you or anyone else has been injured and, if necessary, immediately call 911. Assuming there’s no additional danger and you don’t need to provide first aid, here are a few things you should do right away:
Get Driver AND Vehicle Information – Law enforcement may not be able to come to the scene to do a full collision report. This is why it’s important to get identifying information for BOTH the other driver AND the vehicle since the driver isn’t always the registered owner. The quickest way to get these is to take pictures of the other driver’s license and the vehicle registration.
Pictures of the Scene – Take pictures of all vehicles from multiple angles. You never know which angle will be best to show the direction of travel, point of impact, or other important information.
Witnesses and Videos – Gather the names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the collision occur and ask if they have a dash camera in their vehicle. Nearby businesses or homeowners might have security cameras pointed toward the street and could help prove who was responsible for the crash.
Notes – Jot down notes about how the accident happened and include a description of the weather and road conditions. Also note the direction each vehicle was traveling in and on which streets. Did the other car have their headlights on or use their turn signal? Was it foggy or close to sunrise or sunset? Was the street wet or was there road construction in the area?
Call Our Office – The sooner you call the experienced injury attorneys at Cooney Law Offices, the sooner we can relieve your stress, explain the process, and get you the compensation you deserve. We can help!