Often times, clients come into our office after being involved in a vehicle accident and tell us that they weren’t sure what to do immediately after being in the accident. Sometimes, clients don’t speak to an attorney until several months after the accident, when they feel that the insurance company is not taking them seriously. Below you will find an outline of steps to be taken following your involvement in a car accident.

• Immediately following the accident you should call the police if you are able. Law enforcement officers will document necessary information in order to initiate a personal injury claim. Specifically, a police officer will be able to obtain not only your insurance information, but the insurance information of the other person or people involved in the motor vehicle accident.
• Additionally, the law enforcement officer will investigate the accident, and provide details as to how the accident occurred. The details of how an accident occurred are important when pursuing a personal injury claim, as ha police report will determine who’s at fault for causing the accident.
• Sometimes, the accident is non-reportable. This does not mean that the injuries one may sustain are not significant. Therefore, it is important that you go to the hospital the day of the accident in order to have a doctor physically examine you. If you have any aches and pains, which are anticipated after being involved in an accident, you need to let the treating physician or nurses know. Not only will they treat your injuries, they will make a record of what your injuries are following the accident.
• Most likely, upon being discharged from the hospital, you will be advised to follow-up with your family physician. This is important as you may develop additional symptoms other than the initial symptoms that you experienced immediately following the accident. Your family physician will document any and all symptoms that you’re experiencing, which is imperative when pursuing a motor vehicle claim, as it develops a record of what your injuries are. Furthermore, your family doctor will be in a position to refer you to a specialist if necessary.
• It is imperative that you seek the advice of an attorney following an accident. Here at Falvello Law Firm, our primary focus of practice is personal injury. Please feel free to give us a call to schedule a free consultation to discuss any concerns that you may have involving the motor vehicle accident that you were involved in.
• You’ll also want to contact your insurance company to report the accident. It is ok to tell them that you were involved in an accident; however, tell them that you anticipate speaking with an attorney if you haven’t already done so, and if they have any specific questions, direct them to your attorney.
• If there is any damage to your vehicle, take photographs of the vehicle. When taking these photographs, it is important to note the date and time in which the photographs were taken, as well at the location where they were taken.
• The same goes for your injuries. If you have injuries that are visible, such as bruising, scarring, etc., it is important to take photographs in order to document these injuries.

I’m hopeful that these recommendations are helpful to you in the event you’re involved in a car accident. It has been my experience with clients that knowing what to do can alleviate some of the stress that you may feel following involvement in a car accident.