Injuries can be expensive, and they can also be highly inconvenient. If you’re a victim of a car accident, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. An accident can be a traumatic experience, and you might not know what to do. Here are six mistakes to avoid after a car accident:
1. Failure to Report the Accident
According to Dante Weston, who is ranked as a top car accident attorney in West Palm Beach:
“It is important that you report the accident to the insurance company as soon as possible. However, you should contact a personal injury attorney first so they can handle correspondence with the insurer.”
If you don’t report the accident, your insurance company won’t be able to help you at all. If an uninsured driver is involved in an accident, it may be difficult for them to receive compensation if you don’t report it.
2. Failure to Take Photos of the Scene of the Accident
If there are any witnesses around, ask them for their names and contact information so that you can get in touch with them later. You should also take photos of the accident scene before anyone has had time to move things around or change anything. Photographs will allow both parties in a dispute over what happened at the scene of an accident to remember what they saw and provide evidence in court if necessary.
3. Failure to Call 911
If anyone is injured or even appears as though they are injured following an automobile collision, call 911 immediately! The police will need this information before filling out a police report because it helps them determine fault and liability for injuries sustained during an auto accident.
4. Failure to Get Help
If you are injured or have any passengers in your vehicle, call 911 immediately! Also, if anyone in the other vehicle is injured or appears as though they could be injured, call 911. Don’t move the vehicles and don’t talk to the other driver until emergency services arrive at the accident scene. If you are uninjured but someone else is hurt and needs immediate medical attention, stay with them until help arrives. If you leave before help arrives and then try to get medical treatment, later on, it could be difficult to get compensation for your injuries because it will be difficult for the insurance company to determine who was at fault for causing your injuries.
5. Failure to Call a Lawyer
If you are injured in an auto accident and feel that someone else is at fault for your injuries, call a lawyer immediately! You might not think you have a case because you weren’t seriously hurt during an accident, but it is best not to risk being wrong about that assumption. Get help from a lawyer if there’s any chance of getting compensation for your injuries after an auto accident to focus on recovering from your injuries instead of worrying about how you will pay for medical treatment and get compensated for your injuries.
6. Failure to Get a Police Report
The police will need this information before filling out a police report because it helps determine fault and liability for injuries sustained during an auto accident.