Important Steps to Take if Involved in a Car Crash

If you are involved in a car crash, there are several important steps that you should take to best protect yourself, both medically and legally:

Step 1: Contact the police – By contacting the police, you will ensure that a record of the incident is made and that the proper information is exchanged between you and the other driver(s). The police may also be of assistance in making sure you receive immediate emergency medical care. If the police will not come to the scene, make sure to document the other driver’s license plate, make/model of their vehicle, and their car insurance information. The more information you obtain at the scene, the less risk you run in failing to obtain a crucial piece of information which may be difficult to obtain at a later date.

Step 2: After a crash, you will need to take your car to an auto repair shop to get it fixed. That is presuming that the damage is repairable; If the crash was a big one and this isn’t the case, then you will need to contact somewhere like cashcarbuyer.com to scrap it, as it will no longer be fit to drive. But crucially, before you do so, make sure you take photographs – photograph all of the vehicles involved which were damaged as a result of the crash. Additionally, if you have cuts or bruises as a result of the crash, it is important to take photographs so that your condition is documented, as well as making sure you get photographs of as much visual information as you can, if you have a dashcam from the likes of blackboxmycar for example be sure to save and retain the footage to use as evidence at a later date.

Step 3: Seek medical attention – Often after a motor vehicle crash, victims feel overwhelmed with emotion and are generally shaken up. Pain due to injuries suffered from the crash can set in immediately or may take several days to begin negatively affecting you. It is always better to err on the side of caution and to visit the nearest emergency room or to see your family doctor as soon as possible for an evaluation of any part of your body which was affected from the crash. It is additionally important that you express to the doctor who examines you that your symptoms began or worsened as a result of the crash.

Step 4: Contact an attorney – The quicker you contact an attorney, the better off you will be. By contacting an attorney, you can ensure that your rights are protected, as there are many circumstances for which your failure to act timely may cause you to be without any recourse. Additionally, contacting an attorney will ensure that you will not have to deal with any of the insurance companies involved and that all necessary steps are taken to make sure that your vehicle is fixed or replaced and that you receive necessary medical care. Need a Los Angeles car accident lawyer? You could look into reaching out to the Wilshire Law Firm for legal help with your situation.

By: Jordan Schlossberg