5 Things To Gather Before Leaving A Car Accident Scene
When getting involved in an accident, it's natural to want to get away from the scene of the accident as quickly as possible. However, getting the right information at the beginning will help make things go more smoothly later on. Before leaving, make sure that you get these five things; if you do, it should be a lot easier to handle your insurance claim or to file a claim with the help of an attorney.
1. Other Driver's Information
Make sure that you get the other driver's name, driver's license number, license plate number, insurance information and vehicle registration information before leaving the scene of the accident. This information is usually included on the accident and police report, but jotting it down yourself will help you ensure that nothing is omitted and that everything is accurate. You can also write down a physical description of the driver and a brief description of his or her demeanor, such as if you think the driver might have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
2. Contact Information for Witnesses
Witnesses can be worth their weight in gold after a car accident, especially if you hire a lawyer to help you file a claim. Therefore, you should copy down your witness' phone numbers, addresses, names, email addresses and other important contact information so that you or your lawyer can get in touch with them later, if needed.
3. Police Report
The law enforcement officer who arrives at the scene should be able to give you an official police report. If you aren't able to get one right away, ask for where, when and how you can retrieve one after the fact.
4. Brief Description of What Happened
Although you might think that you will never forget what happened during your car accident, it can be easy to forget the little details later on. Therefore, it's always smart to jot down a quick description of what happened, how you were feeling, how the other driver was acting, and any other information that might seem important. If possible, ask the witnesses to jot down what they saw as well. This will help refresh you or your witness' memory later on if necessary and will ensure that you have the correct details.
5. Photographs, If Possible
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. If you have your camera on hand or can use your smartphone to take pictures, it's smart to take photographs of any injuries, of both vehicles and their positioning, of skid marks and other indicators in the road, and anything else that you might think is relevant. You can have these pictures printed out later if necessary, such as if you need to give them to your lawyer or if your insurance company asks for more proof.
It can be easy to leave the scene of an accident without all of these things. After an accident, you might feel stressed, confused and upset, and you might not be thinking clearly. However, remembering to collect the correct documentation and information can make things easier later on, such as filing a claim with the insurance company and hiring an auto accident lawyer. Therefore, it's important to gather these things before leaving the scene of an accident if at all possible.
Talk to experts like Edward M Graves for more information.
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