When you get into a car accident, the next dozen or so hours are a whirlwind. You end up talking to so many people and dealing with so many things that it can feel overwhelming. Suddenly, you wake up at home the next day and wonder what you should do next.
If you find yourself in this situation, then the following guide can help. It will explain the steps you should take to get the medical care you need, and it will also explain how to explore your legal options for claiming damages with the help of a San Francisco car accident attorney.
Step 1: Seek Medical Care and Thorough Documentation
If you have not yet seen a medical professional, immediately do so. Report any symptoms you experience, however minor, and order all the relevant tests needed to diagnose conditions like broken bones, concussion, internal injury, whiplash and other common car accident injuries.
Answer your physician’s questions clearly and specifically. To make sure they are documenting every detail, say that the information might have legal bearing. Request a copy of all exam notes and any images or test results you have received. Save your receipts for both any out-of-pocket costs and any items that would normally be billed to your insurance.
Many car crash victims do go see a doctor immediately after their accident, either in the emergency department or through appointment. If you have already visited a health care facility, return if you did not explore all of your possible diagnoses and order all of the relevant tests. Something as minor as an achy leg could turn out to be a fractured femur, and you will want it to be documented as close to the accident as possible.
Similarly, request a copy of any tests, images, exam notes and receipts from any visits since your accident.
Step 2: Decline to Speak With Others’ Insurance Adjusters or Sign Anything Except the Police Ticket
The insurance company of the other driver will likely contact you within the next day or so after the accident. You can give them the most bare-bones details, like your own insurance agency, your name, address, the year and model of car you were driving.
Other details, including the time frame of the accident or your version of events, can wait until a later date. You can decline to comment by saying “that information is relevant to an ongoing investigation, and it will be revealed at an appropriate time.”
You should have already contacted your own insurer by this point, as well. You can similarly withhold certain details of the accident from them if the sequence of events was unclear, but you should usually try to answer their questions to the best of your abilities.
Step 3: Make Sure a Police Report Was Filed at the DMV
In the state of California, requesting a police officer to come to the scene of the accident does not fulfill your obligations for reporting it. All drivers involved must also file a report with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days if the damages exceeded $750 or if someone was injured.
You can also request to see a full copy of the accident report, which will include the responding officer’s notes, any statements made by other parties and the details of the accident scene investigation.
Step 4: Write Down Any Relevant Information You Have Not Yet Recorded
Your best ally in a car accident case is your own memory and the memories of others. Make sure you have a copy of your own written account of the accident, which should also include times and a diagram of the accident. Write down your symptoms at the time of the accident and the time of writing, and note any witnesses you spoke with.
If you have contact information for any witnesses, you can follow up with them to confirm the information they disclosed.
Step 5: Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Attorney
If you have sustained any injuries and you think the other driver may be partially or completely at fault for the accident, you have a right to pursue a personal injury case. You can reach out to a car accident lawyer in San Francisco for help assembling the facts of your case and advice on the best way to move forward with your claim.
You can contact Gruber Law Group now for a free consultation regarding your case as well as our expert opinion on how to proceed.
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