Have a Plan BEFORE a Car Wreck
Hopefully, you will never find yourself in the position of picking up the pieces and getting your life back together after a car wreck, but statistically speaking, you’re likely to be involved in a car accident approximately once every 17.9 years.[1]So, how do you protect yourself and your family in the midst of an even that can seem overwhelming? Simple—be prepared.
1. Have a form to fill out in your glove box to make sure you get all the necessary information from the other driver(s) involved in the collision. You can use the one we give to our clients, or make your own, but having this handy ensures that you aren’t trying to chase down the person that hit you later to get pertinent information.
2. Take pictures of the damage done to all the cars involved in the collision. Also, take pictures of the scene of the accident—e.g. the intersection; roadway; dangerous conditions, etc.
3. Know where you can access a copy of your insurance policy. Most insurance companies now have apps that allow you to pull up a copy of your declarations page (a list of your coverages) and ID cards. This is important because the driver that caused the wreck may have produced an insurance ID card, but there may not be an active policy behind it—leaving you holding the bag. If you know your coverage, then you’ll be able to effectively navigate the bureaucratic insurance maze to get your car fixed and medical bills taken care of.
4. If you’re hurt, go get checked out. Don’t wait until the pain becomes unbearable to seek medical attention. The sooner the injuries from your car wreck get treated the sooner you’ll start to feel better. I have clients ask all the time if they should have taken an ambulance from the scene, and my typical response is “it depends.” Most of the time, you may not feel pain immediately after a car wreck because your body is in a state of shock—if you are feeling pain, then you may have severe injuries and should definitely take the ambulance ride because you’ll be admitted into the emergency depart right away. Otherwise, it depends on how you’re feeling at the scene. If you “don’t feel good/right” then it may be good to get a ride to the hospital on the ambulance. If you just feel a little banged up, you can decide what your best course of action would be.
5. Don’t post anything on social media sites about the wreck and don’t give a statement to any insurance company until you’ve had a chance to get advice from your lawyer.
We are here to help
As personal injury attorneys, we have handled many car wreck cases involving injuries suffered at the hands of other drivers. These types of cases require experienced lawyers—call us now at 281.339.7349 to see how we can help.
[1]“How Many Times Will You Crash Your Car?” by: Des Toups. Last accessed Sept. 3, 2015. http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2011/07/27/how-many-times-will-you-crash-your-car/