What You Should Know After a Car Crash

Millions of <

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ccidents<>

esult in p

ope

ty d

m

ge

s

ell

s se

ious

nd even life-th

e

tening inju

ies. He

e e the most impo

t

nt things you should kno

if you

e eve

in

n

utomobile

ccident:

Stop the C

Neve

d

ive

y f

om the scene of

n

ccident, even if the

e’s no d

m

ge—this is you

leg

l oblig

tion. If it’s s

fe, move you

c

y f

om

ddition

l h

m, to the shoulde

of the

o

d. If the

ccident dis

bled you

c

, fl

sh you

h

zd lights to

n othe

d

ive

s. Tu

n off the engine, shift into p

k,

nd set the eme

gency b

ke. Check fo

pp

o

ching vehicles,

nd m

ke ce

t

in it’s s

fe to get out of you

c

befo

e opening the doo

.

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ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

pl

n-

oute-

educe-

ccident-

isk

“>T

ke Steps fo

S

fety<><

h3>
You c

n p

event

ddition

l ch

in

e

ction

ccidents

t night by putting on you

fl

she

s o

setting up fles, especi

lly in t

uck

ccidents. Keep

fl

shlight in c

se of dkness o

to

n othe

s. If possible,

it fo

police to

ive befo

e moving

nything, but p

otect you

s

fety fi

st

nd fo

emost.

P

omptly Seek Medic

l

ttention<

h3>
Check to see if

nyone needs u

gent medic

l ce. If

nyone

eceived seve

e inju

ies, ple

se c

ll 911 immedi

tely to

equest p

ofession

l

ssist

nce f

om qu

lified fi

st

esponde

s, such

s

mbul

nce se

vices o

fi

efighte

s. The inju

ed p

ty m

y not

ecognize less-seve

e inju

ies fo

hou

s (o

even d

ys). If eme

gency medic

l pe

sonnel

sk if you’

e inju

ed, simply s

y you e not su

e,

the

th

n no—then seek medic

l

ttention

t you

loc

l eme

gency

oom o

f

om you

f

mily physici

n. Even lo

-imp

ct

ccidents m

y c

use se

ious

nd pe

m

nent inju

ies.

C

ll the Police<

h3>
C

ll the police, even

hen nobody sust

ined m

jo

inju

ies.

police

epo

t

ill help

hen filing

cl

im

ith you

insunce comp

ny. Coope

te fully

ith the police, but

void

dmitting f

ult o

bl

ming othe

s

hile

t the scene,

llo

ing the police to objectively judge events

nd dete

mine

ho, if

nyone, bes

esponsibility fo

the

ccident.

C

efully

epo

t Det

ils

nd T

ke Photos<

h3>

hen police office

s

ive,

ecount the events

ccutely to the best of youbility. If you do not kno

ce

t

in f

cts, s

y you don’t kno

—do not guess, specul

te, o

m

ke misst

tements

bout

h

t you think m

y h

ve h

ppened. M

ke su

e th

t othe

s involved do not m

ke f

lse st

tements, eithe

. These d

ys, most people c

y cell phones equipped

ith c

mes. If you h

ve one (o

ny kind of c

me), t

ke pictu

es of the vehicles involved in the

ccident. This is especi

lly useful fo

p

ope

ty d

m

ge, the positioning of the c

s, etc. If you sust

ined visible inju

ies, photog

ph them, too. Ho

eve

,  t

–

ed

cto

-t

g=”em”>do not inte

fe

e

ith the police investig

tion. If you c

n't t

ke pictu

es

t the scene of the

ccident, t

ke them

s soon

s possible

fte

the

ccident.

Exch

nge Info

m

tion

Usu

lly, police office

s

ho

ive

t the scene t

ke do

n

ll impo

t

nt info

m

tion. If office

s do not

epo

t to the csh site o

if ce

t

in

itnesses need to le

ve, obt

in the cont

ct info

m

tion fo

eve

yone you c

n, including:

• N

  mes of the d

  ive

  s

• dd

  esses of the d

  ive

  s

• Phone numbe
  s

  nd othe

  cont

  ct info

  m

  tion

equest insunce cds foll d

ive

s involved in the

ccident. M

ke su

e to get:

• Insu
  

  nce comp

  ny n

  mes

• Insu
  

  nce comp

  ny policy numbe

  s

Obt

in info

m

tion

bout the othe

c(s) involved in the

ccident, including:

• Vehicle desc
  iptions, m

  kes, models

  nd yes<

  li>

• Vehicle Identific
  tion Numbe

  s (VINs)

• Vehicle
  egisttion info

  m

  tion<

  li>

• License pl
  te numbe

  s

Obt

in info

m

tion

bout the

ccident itself, including:

• D

  te

  nd time of the

  ccident, noting d

  iving conditions,

  e

  the

  ,

  nd visibility<

  li>

• dd

  ess o

  pp

  oxim

  te

  dd

  ess of the

  ccident<

  li>

• The
  o

  d you

  e on, the ne

  est c

  oss st

  eets, the di

  ection in

  hich you

  e

  e t

  veling,

  nd the othe

  vehicle’s position

  nd tjecto

  y

• T
  ke photos f

  om v

  ious

  ngles o

  sketch

  di

  g

  m of the c

  sh scene

• Desc
  ibe

  h

  t h

  ppened using pen on p

  pe

  ,

  text mess

  ge o

  em

  il to you

  self, oudio o

  video

  eco

  ding—it’s e

  sy to fo

  get the det

  ils

  hen you

  e

  ll sh

  ken up f

  om

  c

  sh, so

  ny

  eco

  d m

  y help l

  te
• The n
  mes, b

  dge numbe

  s,

  nd cont

  ct info

  m

  tion fony police office

  s

  ho

  espond to the

  ccident<

  li>

• The n
  mes

  nd cont

  ct info

  m

  tion fony

  itnesses, so th

  t you o

  you

  tto

  ney c

  n cont

  ct them in the futu

  e

epo

t

h

t H

ppened to You

Insu

e

epo

t the c

sh to you

uto insu

es soon

s possible. Even if the negligent d

ive

’s insu

nce cove

ge should ultim

tely cove

the

ccident, you m

y h

ve medic

l p

yments—MedP

y—cove

ge th

t c

n kick in to help cove

you

medic

l t

e

tments

hile you

c

se is pending.

Keep

ll Impo

t

nt

eco

ds<

h3>
Keep

ll documents

nd

eco

ds

el

ted to the c

sh o

g

nized in one pl

ce, including

eceipts

nd bills foll expenses, info

m

tion

el

ted to you

insu

nce cl

ims, cont

ct info

m

tion fo

impo

t

nt pties, eco

d of you

inju

y-

el

ted p

in levels

nd limit

tions,

nd

nything else

elev

nt to the

ccident.

C

ll

n

tto

ney

s soon

s you

dd

ess you

physic

l

ell-being, cont

ct

c

ccident

tto

ney to discuss you

ights.

lye

c

n help p

otect you

ights f

om the stt

ith

n insunce cl

im.

Useful S

fety Tips<

h3>
No m

tte

ho

cle

n you

d

iving

eco

d, you neve

knohen

n

ccident c

n st

ike. Use these h

ndy tips to p

epe fo

the unp

edict

ble:

• P
  ck

  s

  fety kit<

  li>

• Keep impo
  t

  nt documents

  t the

  e

  dy (identific

  tion,

  ddition

  l insu

  nce comp

  ny cont

  ct info

  m

  tion, vehicle

  egisttion, he

  lth pl

  n info

  m

  tion, et cete)<

  li>

• Ch
  

  ge you

  phone

  nd b

  ing it

  ith

  heneve

  you hit the

  o

  d

• Keep loose items in the cente
  console o

  glove box,

  nd not on the se

  ts

  he

  e they c

  n get lost o

  fly

  ound in

  n

  ccident

C

ll fo F

ee Consult

tion

ith

n Expe

ienced <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

se

vices

c

–

ccident-

tto

ney-houston

“>Tex

s C

ccident

tto

ney ><

h3>
Kno

youights if you

e

e in

n

ccident. The Houston l fi

m of Ste

t J. Guss is expe

ienced

t

ep

esenting

uto

ccident victims

nd c

n help you. Fo f

ee consult

tion

ith the <

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ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

ou

-te

m/”>

tto

neys of Ste

t J. Guss,

tto

ney

t L

>, c

ll tod

y

t 800-898-4877 o

send us

n em

il th

ough ou

 <

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ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

cont

ct-us

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t

-

ed

cto

-t

g="st

ong”>online cont

ct fo

m ong><

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