In case you are involved in a car accident, it is advised to report it immediately. It may not be injured on the scene, but later physical side effects may appear. After some days or weeks, you may discover some hidden damages on your vehicle as well.
In case you have decided to take legal action, provide enough details to the police once they arrive at the accident spot. In case you are reporting a car accident, it is also necessary to look for some essential points.
5 Important Things You Should Know When Reporting A Car Accident
Here, in this article, I will tell you about 5 important things that you should know at the time of reporting a car accident. All these things are really vital for your lawsuit if you are thinking of taking some legal action.
You also can take assistance from a Los Angeles car accident lawyer. An attorney will always be able to pick up the right points for you.
Witness Accounts
Never forget to note down the name and also the phone number of the witnesses who were present on the scene. If it is possible, use your cellphone to record the witnesses and keep an account of what happened.
You may be thinking that they have not seen anything important and still collect all their information. You never know what you may need in a future legal action. For the states with comparative negligence, you have the chance to seek damages, though you are partially blamed.
Thorough Incident Description
Reporting everything to the smallest detail of the accident is important. Do not guess or speculate; in case you are unsure about your injury, instead of saying direct NO say that you are not so sure.
Here are some crucial accident details that are often neglected.
- Date and time of the accident.
- Road hazards, like excessive traffic, potholes, construction roadblocks, etc.
- Weather conditions, whether it is foggy, or raining, or icy.
- Your driving speed and also the estimated speed of the other driver.
Photos Of The Scene
Any kind of damage to your vehicle and also your body should be recorded immediately. Without interfering with the police investigation, you can take some quick snapshots of the visible damages using your phone.
In case any scarring or bruising appears later, take a picture of that immediately and ask the police department to include it in your report. In your photos, you should include,
- Skid marks on the road.
- Your or any other passengers’ injuries.
- Damage to the other vehicle.
- The intersection (parking lots, street signs, street lights, or other landmarks).
- Debris, like pieces of tire rubber, shattered glass, or broken car parts.
- The environment or weather, for like icy roads, snowbanks, cloudy skies.
Driver Details
At the scene, whether the police assign any fault or not, the involved insurance companies can make any decision. So you do local judges in case the case goes to court. If the police do not rule in your favor, collecting some details of the other driver will be great.
The details must include
- Name and address.
- Plate number, make, and model of the vehicle.
- Any vehicle defects.
- The number of passengers in the car, along with their approximate ages.
- Any factors, which may be responsible for the distraction.
Police Officer Details
As soon as the police arrive at the scene, ask for his or her business car immediately. In case the police do not have one, note down their name along with the contact number. Do not wait till you are getting the accident report in the mail.
Often the name of a police officer is hard to understand, or the supervising officer’s name can be mentioned there. So, be proactive about taking the details of the police offices. So, that if any conflicts arise, you can directly go to the source.
Bottom Line
Once you are the victim of a car accident, you start thinking about what kind of lawyer will be a perfect fit for your case. Without thinking too much, you must hire a car accident lawyer to ensure that your legal rights are taken care of, and you get the true value of your personal injury compensation.
