**Warning** If you are hurt and your life is in danger, or you are at risk of further injury or complication, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. You should not be thinking about anything else. If your injuries do not require immediate medical attention, and you are able, the following are important steps to take after a car accident.
If you’ve been in an accident, these actions will best prepare you to receive any compensation you may be entitled to:
- Exchange information with the other driver or drivers involved in the accident. Make sure that you get the details of the other driver’s license, vehicle ownership, and insurance. If you have access to a camera, then take photographs of the documents. Taking photographs reduces the risk of transcription errors. Review the photos so ensure they aren’t blurry.
- It is always a good idea to call the police – especially if you believe that you weren’t at fault in the accident. However, in many jurisdictions the police will not attend at the scene of a motor vehicle accident unless there has been personal injury or significant property damage. If the police will not attend, and there is availability within your jurisdiction, go to a collision self-reporting centre and report the accident.
- If there are witnesses, ask for their names, addresses, and contact information.
- If there is any doubt whatsoever about who is at fault, and the accident is serious enough that the police will be attending at the scene, then it is best not to move the cars until the police arrive on scene. Often the resting position of the vehicles after an accident can be very helpful in determining who was at fault in the accident. However, if for some reason it is dangerous to leave your vehicle where it came to rest, then by all means move it.
- If you have access to a camera, take numerous photos of the general area where the accident occurred showing the position of the vehicles in their resting position after the accident. And include numerous photos of the vehicle damage.
- If you have suffered injury and have sought medical attention, then call a lawyer to find out whether you have a legal claim. At our office, there are no upfront fees. Avoid referrals to specific lawyers made by tow truck drivers, medical personnel, or anyone else who might have a vested interest in you retaining a specific lawyer.
- Be wary of insurance adjusters who want to meet right away. Usually these adjusters want a signed statement and/or a signed medical authorization from you. This is a bad idea. Quite often, injuries will worsen over time and providing a written signed statement at the outset doesn’t accurately reflect your medical condition. As well, adjusters will overreach with the medical authorizations they ask you to sign – obtaining much more information than that to which they are entitled.
As you can see, there’s a lot to keep track of and you might not be in a clear state of mind after experiencing a car accident. Our staff can help you navigate life after a car accident, helping you get the compensation you deserve.
Call us at 416-533-7133. We’ll be there. We’ll be ready.
