Ten Things to Do After a Car Accident

Regardless of who caused the auto accident, how much damage or injury there might be, or where it occurred, there are some things you can do to optimize your chances of obtaining a fair compensation. To do some of them you will need to have two items in your vehicle at all times: • A disposable camera • Paper and pen

At the Accident Scene

1. Photograph the damage to your car. Take close-ups and photos from a greater distance to include the entire vehicle and its immediate surroundings.

2. Photograph the scene in general, to show the lighting, weather, relative positions of all vehicles involved, their license plates, any relevant signage, and the condition of the road.

3. If you can, photograph any injuries to yourself or your passengers, or have a passenger or witness photograph your injuries. Not all injuries are easily visible, especially internal ones such as whiplash, head injury or damage to internal organs. But it's a good idea to immediately capture images of anything visible, as it provides a baseline for those injuries.

4. Obtain the insurance and contact information of all other drivers or riders involved, and also of any witnesses who may have remained at the scene.

5. Answer all questions put to you by any police officer. Do not volunteer any information not asked for, and refrain from claiming any responsibility for the accident. In this immediate aftermath you might feel guilty, but that does not mean that you actually did anything illegal. If you make any statements that sound like an admission of guilt, they could be used against you later.

6. Remain at the scene until a police officer gives permission for you to leave.

After the Accident

7. Notify your insurance company of the auto accident and fill out all required forms promptly.

8. Call or write to obtain a copy of the police accident report.

9. If an insurance adjuster contacts you and makes a quick offer of compensation, do not accept it, do not sign anything, and do not volunteer any information. The adjuster does not have your best interests in mind. Any offer at this point will almost certainly be far too low to cover your damage and injury costs.

10. Contact an experienced auto accident lawyer and schedule a free consultation.

If you are too injured to go to the car accident attorney's office, they will go to you. Any information you gathered at the accident scene will be very valuable to your attorney in helping to quickly establish what actually happened and in assessing your legal position and options. Have the accident lawyer deal with your insurance company to protect you and enable you to focus more on healing from your injuries.