Car Accidents

What to do when an accident occurs.

• Check to see if anyone is injured. Follow your first aid rules if they are, while ensuring you are safe yourself.
• Call for emergency help – ambulance and/or police.
• If the scene of the accident is not too severe try to remove the cars to the side of the road to make the scene safer. You may wish to take a few photos before doing this, depending on the severity of the accident.
• Put up a safety triangle or cones to warn other traffic
• Gather information from the other driver (if possible) Take down the driver of the other vehicles insurance details, and the license plate number. Provide the other driver with your insurance details. (If police are at the scene they will be gathering this and the following information too)
• Gather information from witnesses. You don’t need to go into detail as to what happened at this point. What you do need are witnesses’ names and phone numbers so they can be contacted later.
• Be co-operative and stay calm. Do not try to ascertain fault or blame at this point. If police wish to speak with you be as honest and factual as you can, again without placing fault on either the other driver or yourself.
• Take photos of the scene and any damage to both your own and the other drivers vehicle
• Try to stay at the scene until the other drivers, police and witnesses are leaving too.
• If you are injured, seek medical help as soon as possible. (Obviously if you are seriously injured your self much of the above will not be possible, but hopefully someone else will collect information for you). Note too that often we are not aware of the extent of our injury until much later.
• Write down or record a voice memo of exactly what you remember of the details of the accident.
• Notify your Insurance company
• If required fill out a State Accident report (available from Police)
• Contact a qualified lawyer for advice on how to proceed next, particularly if you or anyone else has been injured.

Legal Information: Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Lowe. Serving throughout the Texas area.