Car accidents are among the most terrifying experiences a person can endure, especially serious accidents that end in injuries or fatalities. During the trauma of the accident and the chaos of the immediate aftermath, it may be difficult to take purposeful action to protect your physical and financial future but preserving evidence at the scene and summoning emergency services and law enforcement immediately after the accident is the best way to protect yourself. Contact a Texas car accident attorney for a free consultation today.
What to Do at the Scene of the Accident
Unless a car accident causes such severe trauma that you are unconscious or incapacitated, it’s possible to take decisive steps immediately after the accident to protect yourself and your loved ones. A smartphone is the ideal tool to safeguard your safety and your legal rights—including the right to compensation. Use the phone yourself, or hand it to an uninjured person to use for you, and then take the following steps at the accident scene:
- First, call 911 and give reasonable aid and comfort to anyone seriously injured
- Then, use the phone’s camera to take photos of the accident scene, capturing images of the position of the vehicles before law enforcement moves them to restore traffic flow
- Take photos of anything relevant to the cause of the accident such as a traffic light, intersection, road signs, or roadway hazard
- Photograph the damaged vehicles
- Take photos of any visible injuries
- Add the contact information of the other driver or drivers
- If there are eyewitnesses present, add their contact information to your phone
- Briefly record what you remember about the accident and the moments leading up to it—the trauma may fade these memories later, causing you to lose important details that can help later
Eyewitness testimony is especially critical in places with no traffic cameras or nearby surveillance cameras to capture video of the accident. Unfortunately, sometimes eyewitnesses leave the scene without leaving their contact information.
Never say anything at the accident scene that might later be construed as admitting fault. Even simply saying, “I’m sorry” may be misinterpreted as taking responsibility for a car accident that someone else caused.
Go to the Hospital Straight From the Accident Scene
After a car accident in Texas, recovering compensation for damages like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering requires proving another driver or other entity’s fault for the accident and showing compelling evidence of your damages. After a car accident, go straight to the hospital. If your injuries are severe, ride with the paramedics. Otherwise, arrange transportation to a hospital or urgent care center straight from the accident scene. This not only ensures you receive prompt medical care but also documents evidence that your injuries happened in the accident.
Always undergo a complete medical examination after a Texas car accident and report even the most minor symptoms. Some injuries have delayed symptom onset, particularly during the adrenaline rush of surviving a car accident.
Ask for a detailed medical report listing your injuries, your doctor’s recommendation for treatment, and your prognosis for recovery. Then, save all medical bills and receipts for out-of-pocket expenses for your car accident attorney to use for your case.
Report Your Accident and Contact a Texas Car Accident Lawyer
Besides reporting the accident to the police, you should also report it to your own insurance company, even if you were not at fault. Then, instead of taking on a challenging legal procedure alone, call a Texas car accident lawyer at Linebaugh, Dority, & Allen for a free consultation so we can begin a strong strategy for your recovery.