No doubt you drive as safely as possible. Maybe you don’t even like to drive fast. Still, the potential for a car accident is always present when there are other drivers on the road. You can’t predict when someone else will operate a vehicle and be distracted, careless, or negligent in some way. Even a brief moment of inattention can result in either minor car accidents or collisions with serious injuries.
Whether small or large, a car accident case can become complicated when at-fault parties resist taking accountability. An otherwise straightforward case can become a never-ending nightmare if guilty parties and insurance companies seek to circumvent accountability.
Nevertheless, you can take action at the scene of the collision and support your case starting at that moment. A car accident lawyer can then help you build a solid case on that foundation to get you the compensation you deserve faster.
Contact the car accident lawyers at Gould Injury Law to get the compensation you deserve as fast as possible. Call our law office at 888-WIN-FAST, or fill out the online form and schedule your free consultation today!
Important Steps You Can Take While Still at the Car Accident Scene
The seconds and minutes immediately following a car accident can leave your head spinning. You may feel startled and scared. Yet, the time after a collision or accident can be used to secure the best, freshest evidence for your case. That way, your future physical health and financial security can be secured.
We will now outline specific crucial actions you can take while still at the scene of the accident. Following these steps can help you get fast and fair compensation.
Get to a safe position
Your highest priority immediately after a car collision is: safety. Ensuring that you, as well as your passengers, are out of harm’s way is the first step to take after an accident.
If your vehicle remains on the road and has stopped moving, you must first check all around you to determine whether it is safe to move. If your vehicle still operates, you should drive it off the road as soon as it is safe to do so.
If the vehicle no longer functions, you and your passengers should get out and move away from the crash. This should only be done when there is no approaching traffic. You and your passengers should then take refuge on the side of the road in a safe location.
Receive medical help
Should you still seek medical help even if you feel fine after the collision? Yes. Seeking and receiving medical attention as soon as possible after an accident is crucial. Do not delay.
Regardless of whether you think you feel fine or not, getting medical attention can protect your physical health. It can also strengthen your case for financial restitution after your accident. Be sure to have every injury documented by a medical professional.
Failing to address an injury with expediency can impact how badly the condition may progress. It is not an exaggeration to say that every second matters after a car accident injury. Receiving medical help quickly can reduce and possibly even prevent extensive health problems.
Why, though, should you seek medical attention if you do not feel any pain? You should do so because some injuries do not appear right away. It could even take days or weeks for some conditions to appear with symptoms.
Your inability to feel pain after an accident does not mean you have or have not been seriously hurt. In an emergency situation, the human body releases adrenaline. Adrenaline can mask pain and even serious injuries.
Although you may have experienced intense injuries, adrenaline can allow you to feel energetic and strong after a collision. This boost can be deceptive, so you should seek medical attention even if you feel fine or better than normal.
A medical exam is also essential in view of the financial situation you may soon face after a collision. Injuries from the accident can impede your ability to work. They can also cause or aggravate medical conditions later in your life.
To receive compensation for the present and future medical problems caused by your accident, there will need to be a clear connection shown between the collision and your injuries. Getting documentation from medical personnel is key to legally establishing the link between your injuries, the accident, and your medical bills.
It is especially important to have medical documentation on record in the case that at-fault parties attempt to sidestep their responsibility to pay for your medical bills and the like. Documentation from hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies can help calculate the correct total amount of compensation needed.
Take photos
To help your car accident case, you will want others to be able to see the crash scene as it was. Pictures of the accident scene are crucial. Your photos can indicate what happened for a correct evaluation of your case to be made. For one, photographic evidence helps prove who was at fault.
As soon as the crash scene is safe, you should take photos of the whole area and all involved vehicles. The photos should clearly show the collision situation from both up-close and wide-view angles from various perspectives.
Important factors to show in the photos include:
- All vehicular damage
- All accident debris
- Skid marks on the road
- Any object that was involved or influenced the crash
- Injuries to all people affected by the crash (do not forget yourself)
At-fault parties may attempt to avoid accountability or even shift blame to the victim, but accident scene photos can be used to prove the accountability of the at-fault party. Insurance companies or other individuals can argue with your version of the collision. Your photos can serve as key evidence in establishing the real cause and effects of the car accident.
Collect the contact information from all persons around the scene
Be certain to collect contact information from everyone at the scene of the accident. In the confusion and commotion after a car collision, it can be easy to forget to get the contact information of the people involved and any eyewitnesses, but their accounts of the accident could help your case.
If possible, collect the following information from persons in and around the scene of the accident:
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
For drivers who were involved in the collision, you will want to get the following information as well:
- Driver’s license information
- Vehicle plate numbers
- Insurance company contact information
Contact a car accident attorney while at the car accident scene
According to the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, in recent years, there have been about 1,500 vehicle accidents in Connecticut every year.
Although accidents are common, victims may not know what to do after a collision. But the car accident attorneys at Gould Injury Law know what steps you can take after a collision to achieve fast recovery.
You do not have to wait until you are at home to speak with a car accident attorney. While still at the scene of the car accident, you can talk with someone on our legal team to learn the best way to get fast compensation starting now. Gould Injury Law can help you take the best possible first steps to safeguard your case.
Hire Car Accident Attorneys Who Can Help You Get Compensation Fast
The challenges and complications that result from a car collision do not start and end at the car accident scene, but you need fast compensation. What can be done?
Don’t be shy. Gather what evidence and contact information you can at the scene of the accident. Give Gould Injury Law a call as soon as possible. Build a strong, infallible foundation for your case starting now.
The actions that you take at the car accident scene immediately following the collision can help your case in the days, weeks, and months ahead. An experienced car accident attorney can use the evidence you collect at your car accident scene to create a strong case that won’t allow guilty parties to easily avoid accountability.
Learn more about how your actions at the car collision scene, combined with help from our fast car accident lawyers, can help your case. Please contact us and see how our law firm works fast to provide you with the legal help that is key to your accident case. We can work to get your results fast.
Call the Connecticut attorneys at Gould Injury Law at 888-WIN-FAST, or fill out the online form for a free consultation. We can get you fast results.
