What To Do After Your Car Accident Happens | RGV Personal Injury Attorney

When someone crashes into your car while you are driving, you should call the police. Use hazard lights and if you can make it out of the vehicle use stored flares and bright-colored markers such as cones to alert oncoming traffic of the accident since it is common for immobile vehicles to cause immediate accidents. If it is a minor accident and it is definitely apparent that no evidence needs to be collected from the crash scene, then move the vehicles to a safe place.

Call an ambulance if you are injured. The health and safety of those involved in accidents must be served above all else. It may be a difficult decision for the driver or an occupant of a vehicle to make since financial-medical liability is possible. In the event those causing the accident do not have insurance or a means to pay or reimburse a health professional’s charges, small-claim’s court avenues are available.

Write down all the insurance information, vehicle registration information, and identification information of the other driver involved in the accident. It can take up to 10 business days for the police report to be ready. Having the other driver’s insurance will mean that you can file your claim with their insurance sooner rather than later.
It is preferable to have pictures of the accident scene such as damages to the vehicles and any skid marks on the pavement. Write down notes of the conditions of the vehicles, accident scene, and weather conditions if a camera is not accessible.
Look for witnesses. Witnesses can help during the claim process and at trial but are too often not accessed when the accident happened due to the claimant’s confusion and injuries. The innocent claimant should always write down the name, phone number, email address, and home address of any witnesses available, including the other driver. Even though the police report may blame one party over the other, it is not uncommon for the person who caused the accident or above-mentioned person’s insurance company to deny responsibility or liability.
Note the name of the police officer making the accident report and the accident report number.

Do not make a statement to the police officer making the report or to the other driver that will lead them to believe the accident was your fault. Also, do not sign any papers or agreements offered by others involved in the accident.

Only use a wrecker if your car poses a threat to other drivers on the road or if you can pay the initial wrecker service charges to quickly remove the vehicle from the wrecker’s custody. As noted above, the other driver at fault or their insurance company may not be ready or willing to pay for wrecker services or storage of the wrecked vehicle and wreckers have many avenues to satisfy their charges, including placing liens on vehicles.

The uncertainty felt after an accident is for good reason. Many things must be done to make sure the driver is made whole after someone’s negligence changes their life. The Hernandez Law Group has fought for many people from the day they got into an accident to the day they felt whole again, by using courts of law and by using tactics to deal with uncooperative driver’s insurance companies. Call 956.255.5555 for a free initial consultation today!