There are some common questions that lawyers hear from friends, family, and acquaintances. First by a long shot is “what do I do if I get pulled over and I’ve been drinking?” Easy — Obey the officer and pass the tests!! The second most common question is “what do I do when I have been involved in a motor vehicle accident?”
Recognizing that all wrecks are different, it is difficult to say what is to be done. However, I wanted to give some basic ideas about what to do in the event you find yourself in one of these unfortunate situations. As stated before, there are many ways to deal with a car wreck. I am just giving you what I recommend to people when they ask the second most common question to lawyers.
(1) CONTACT THE POLICE, IF ABLE – More times than not, car wrecks occur in areas of population. Therefore, it is assumed that someone else has called 911 to report the wreck. DON’T ASSUME! If you are not too injured to contact 911 — and if you can find your cell phone — please do so. Official records such as accident reports are crucial in dealings with insurance companies. You want the local emergency authorities to prepare such.
(2) DON’T MOVE YOUR CAR UNTIL THE POLICE TELL YOU TO MOVE YOUR CAR – If your car is operable, it is often human instinct to get out of the way of others. Moving your vehicle could result in an inaccurate official report. It is best to leave the vehicles where they lie. So what if you are blocking a two-lane road and your car can be moved? Take out your cell phone and take pictures of the vehicles; say thank you to those sitting there waiting on you to take those pictures; and move your car.
(3) START WRITING DOWN NAMES OF WITNESSES – Virtually every wreck has them just like every tornado has that one guy that hears the “freight train” coming and gets on the local news to tell all about it. No matter how minor the car wreck, write down the name, address, and cell phone number of every single witness of the wreck. You never know when that minor fender-bender could turn into something much more pressing.
Tomorrow comes Part 2 of this discussion into “what do I do when I have been involved in a motor vehicle accident?” The personal injury attorneys at The Parian Law Firm, LLC are experienced with car wreck and truck accident claims and can help you or someone you know who has been injured in such an accident. The Parian Law Firm, LLC — and the law firms throughout the country that The Parian Law Firm, LLC has strategic partnerships with — have a track record of recovering millions of dollars in car wreck and truck accident cases. Our personal injury attorneys are licensed in Georgia and Alabama, but take cases all over the United States. Please contact us at (770) 727-5550 or fill out a contact form at www.westgalawyer.com for a no-obligation assessment of your potential car wreck or truck accident claim.
Proven. Personal. Parian.
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