The moments following a car accident can be disorienting and stressful. Between checking for injuries and ensuring everyone’s safety, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, taking a few important steps after a crash can help protect your well-being, preserve your legal rights, and strengthen any future claim. Speaking with an experienced car accident attorney can help you understand your options and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Table of Contents
- Step 1: Check For Injuries and Stay Safe
- Step 2: Call the Police and File an Accident Report
- Step 3: Exchange Information With Other Drivers
- Step 4: Document the Scene
- Step 5: Notify Your Insurance Company
- Step 6: Get Medical Attention (Even if You Feel Fine)
- Step 7: Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
- Why Choose Feller & Wendt, LLC™
Step 1: Check For Injuries and Stay Safe
After an accident, never leave the scene. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is clearly hurt, call 911 right away. If you are hurt, try not to move until medical help arrives.
If you’re in an accident on a busy road, if possible, move your vehicle to the side. Making sure you are safe is absolutely the most important thing to do after an accident.
Even if you don’t notice any injuries immediately, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Getting medical care after an accident can support your claim and show that you prioritized your health.
Step 2: Call the Police and File an Accident Report
Even if the crash seems minor, it’s important to call the police. If the accident caused injuries or significant property damage, most states legally require that it be reported. Having law enforcement respond ensures that an official accident report is filed. This report is an important document that insurance companies and attorneys use to establish what happened and determine liability.
When speaking with officers or other drivers, describe the facts but avoid apologizing or accepting blame. Statements such as “I’m sorry” can be misinterpreted as an admission of fault. The police report provides a neutral, third-party account that can support your insurance claim and any future legal action.
Be sure to ask the police officer for their name and badge number, and for the report number. Having this information will make it easier for your car accident attorney to later access the report.
Step 3: Exchange Information With Other Drivers
After an accident, make sure to exchange your name, contact details, and insurance information with the other drivers. Also, record the other driver’s license plate number and driver’s license number. Remember, never apologize for the accident.
You might also ask to take a photo of their driver’s license and insurance cards, which can help you gather all necessary information. Before either you or the other driver leave the scene, double-check that all the information is correct, as incomplete or incorrect details could delay your claim.
Step 4: Document the Scene
After the crash, take photos and videos of the accident scene, including your vehicle and any damage, the other driver’s vehicles and damages, road conditions, any injuries you have, and nearby signs.
Write some notes, maybe on your phone, about what happened while the event is still fresh in your mind. You can also describe the accident, including what you remember happening and what you saw before and during the crash.
Your account of the accident, along with the images and videos, can help support your claim and assist your attorney in showing what happened and establishing fault.
Step 5: Notify Your Insurance Company
Always notify your insurance company of the crash immediately, ideally within a day. While reporting quickly is important, avoid giving an overly detailed statement to insurance. It’s best to discuss your case with a car accident attorney first, so you understand how to better protect yourself before providing a full, detailed account of the accident to insurance.
Insurance companies often try to use your statements against you to reduce your payout. The less you know about your legal rights and what you deserve, the more likely the insurance adjuster will take advantage and offer you less than you’re entitled to.
Before accepting any settlement, you should consult with an attorney to see if you’re being offered a truly fair settlement that takes into consideration all your injuries, past and future medical costs, and pain and suffering.
Step 6: Get Medical Attention (Even if You Feel Fine)
Within a couple of days after the accident, you should seek medical attention if you did not do so immediately following the crash. Even if you feel fine, some injuries and health issues caused by a collision can appear later and become serious, potentially life-threatening health risks. Some injuries, like whiplash or concussions, may not show symptoms right away but can worsen over time.
After an accident, it’s important to always get medical attention to check for hidden injuries and to document your injuries and health status following the crash. If you have any injuries, it’s much easier to link them to the accident if you see a doctor promptly afterward, rather than weeks later when they may have worsened.
Seeing a doctor as soon as possible after an accident helps with documentation and evidence for your claim and safeguards your well-being and legal rights.
Step 7: Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
Reaching out to an attorney before settling your claim ensures you’re aware of all legal options, how much compensation you may be entitled to, whether the settlement is fair, and helps you build a strong case. Your car accident attorney will handle all communication with the insurance company, so you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries.
Working with a lawyer from Feller & Wendt, LLC™ ensures all evidence related to your case is collected and that your case receives personalized attention, always being available to you regardless of the time or day. Our attorneys will help you pursue the compensation you deserve from every angle to cover your current and future medical bills, lost wages or earning potential, and pain and suffering from your accident. With a 99 percent success rate in personal injury cases and hundreds of positive reviews, our team is prepared to handle your car accident and injury case with confidence.
Before giving your insurance company a recorded statement about the accident, contact an attorney to protect yourself and your rights. We offer free, no-obligation consultations so you can get the information you need and make an informed decision on your own.
Why Choose Feller & Wendt, LLC™
The car accident attorneys at Feller & Wendt, LLC™ are here to provide personalized and compassionate service to our clients. Our priority is to provide successful case results to our clients, no matter their injuries after a car accident in the following areas:
Our team has over 70 years of combined legal experience to utilize as we negotiate your settlement, or take your case to court. We will continue to fight for you and your right to fair compensation, no matter what.
If you don’t win your case, you won’t face any fees, and we’ll only be paid if you win your case. Take advantage of our free, no-obligation consultations to know all of your legal options.
Don’t face the insurance companies alone—talk to an experienced car accident lawyer today. Call (801) 499-5060 or contact Feller & Wendt, LLC™ now.
1 N 1st Street Suite 7550
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(By Appointment Only)
* This information provided by Feller & Wendt, LLC™ is for informational purposes only and should be in no way construed as legal advice.
