Once you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, there are limits on how you can behave. The first one is that you can’t leave the scene without first checking for injuries of the other people involved, and exchanging contact information. If anybody is injured, calling medical help is the first priority. Calling the police is next.

You also need to protect your vehicle from oncoming traffic. You can do this by:

Turning on your hazard lights
Setting out flares
Opening the hood or trunk of your car

As soon as you can, exchange information with the other driver(s), and this would include:
Name
Address
Phone number(s)
License number
License plate number
Insurance company
Insurance policy number
Insurance agent’s name and phone number

Think ahead about evidence
If there are any witnesses to the accident, ask for their names and contact information. Take photos if you have a camera (and it’s a good idea to keep a disposable camera in your vehicle for exactly this purpose). Take photos of vehicle damage, road conditions, signage, weather and lighting conditions, tire marks, and the positions of all relevant vehicles, including any that might have been parked nearby.

Whether or not you have a camera to take these pictures, take some written notes. Note those same things in as much detail as you can. If you are too injured to do this or to take photos, perhaps someone else in your vehicle can do it, or perhaps even a witness.

This type of evidence will be enormously valuable later in any litigation that might develop.

Make no statements accepting guilt. You may feel shaken up or disoriented, and may be blaming yourself, but do not put that into any words. Any such statements could be turned against you later on.

When the police arrive
Answer all questions and cooperate fully with the police. Give facts, but do not offer any extra information. Do not claim any responsibility for what happened to anybody present. Ask the investigating officer for a business card and the incident number, so that later you can get a copy of his accident report. Do not leave until a police officer gives you permission.

Soon afterwards

See a doctor as soon as possible. You may not realize right away the full extent of your injuries. Whiplash injuries, for example, are famous for giving delayed symptoms, and a brain or head injury could be lowering your alertness without you fully realizing it.

If you neglect to see a doctor right away, that will constitute evidence for your insurance company to argue that you were not injured. Then later, when pain or symptoms start to appear, you will have more trouble persuading them that you were indeed injured.
Failing to see a doctor immediately could also worsen your injuries. Don’t belittle any minor pains or problems, because major medical conditions could be behind them. There is no downside to consulting a doctor immediately.
If you allow time to go by before consulting your doctor, the insurance company lawyers could later claim that your injury was caused by an event that happened after the vehicle accident. So to most easily connect your injuries with this accident, see the doctor immediately. Report all pain and physical conditions you notice which are not typical for you, even if they’re not actually painful. These could include conditions like memory loss, dizziness, ringing in your ears, nausea, confusion, headaches, or fluid in your ears.

Before having your vehicle repaired, take close-up photos of all damage, including the undercarriage or frame.
Have someone photograph your injuries.
Read your insurance policy, including the small print, or give it to an accident attorney to read.
Notify your insurance carrier of the accident. In dealing with your insurance company, obtain legal advice before you fill out any documents for them, before allowing them to record you, and even before meeting with any insurance representative. In particular, get legal advice before you give any statement to another driver’s insurance company. Do not sign anything and do not accept any checks without advice from an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer.
If you didn’t do this at the time of the accident, note down all the important accident facts, such as vehicle license plate numbers, make of car and color, road conditions, weather and lighting, date, time, and exact location.
Keep all receipts for medical expenses and alternative transportation costs. Document lost wages, cost of future medical care, vehicle replacement or repair, and an estimate of future lost income. Write notes about the accident’s effect on your family and your marriage.

If you do all these things, your vehicle accident attorney will thank you, and you will be able to avoid a lot of delay, confusion, and contention in obtaining fair compensation. To set up a free consultation with a car accident lawyer, please call or send us an email.

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West Palm Beach, Florida, motor vehicle accident lawyer Craig Goldenfarb represents clients throughout South Florida, including the cities of Palm Springs, Stuart, and Fort Pierce, and residents of Palm Beach County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County. Our office in West Palm Beach, Florida, is located a quarter mile west of I-95 on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., behind Chick-Fil-A in the IKON Building.