Articles

April 14th, 2023

Dos and Don’ts Immediately Following a Car Collision

Posted in: Featured  Personal Injury    Tagged: Laura C. Llanso

Author: Laura C. Llanso

Everyone hopes that they will never be in a car crash. Most people think they would know what to do if they were in one. While things happen quickly, and people are often in shock, there are things you should know to do and not do while you are still on the scene immediately following a car collision.

Don’t

Don’t yell, scream, or aggressively confront the other driver.

• It is not necessary and could risk your safety.

Don’t follow the other driver if they do not remain on the scene.

• While it may be tempting to follow someone who hits you and tries to leave the scene, it could risk your safety to do so.
• If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you will be protected if the person who hit your vehicle is never found or does not have insurance of their own.

Don’t offer or accept payment to avoid involving insurance companies.

• It is impossible to know for certain at that moment the extent of the property damage to your vehicle or extent of your injuries.
• Offering or accepting money can put you in a difficult position if you later try to make a claim.

Don’t post on social media.

• Whether you are doing a LIVE video or just posting photos, it is never beneficial to post information about an accident on social media – it can be used against you in the future.

Do’s

Do call the police and ask for assistance.

• Even if it seems like a “minor” collision, having a police officer present to help facilitate exchanging information protects you.

Do take photos

• Take photos of the location of all vehicles involved before you move out of the roadway assuming it safe to do so.
• Always consider your surroundings, but having pictures of the vehicles where they were at the moment of impact protects you if the other driver gives a different version of events.
• Take photos of the property damage to both vehicles. Sometimes the damage to your vehicle may be “minor”, but the damage to the other vehicle is major.
• It is important to have photos of both vehicles to show the severity of the impact.

Do get information from the other driver and any witnesses.

• It is important to have not only the car insurance information of the other driver but also their driver’s license information.
• If anyone nearby offered help or saw the collision occur, ask for their contact information. An impartial witness is essential if the drivers have different stories

Do check the scene for any cameras. 

• Cameras are everywhere these days!
• Look around and see if there was a building or home that could have captured the collision.  
• Check if any of the vehicles involved had a “dash cam” inside of their vehicle.

If you or someone you know is involved in a car collision, please reach out to me or one of my colleagues – we are here to help!

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