Advising Car Accident Victims with Dedication and Compassion

Once you are out of danger and all necessary help is on the way obtain the following information: 

• Full names of each driver whose vehicle was involved

• Driver’s license numbers and addresses for all drivers

• Notice if any driver appears intoxicated and inform relevant personnel

• Retrieve full names and addresses of all vehicles’ passengers

• Retrieve full names and addresses of any pedestrians or involved parties

• Retrieve full names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses

• Retrieve full names and addresses of registered vehicle owners

• Confirm if all related vehicles are insured, get insurance company names and policy numbers

• Did anyone else involve speak of an injury right after the accident?

• Was there any medical assistance performed on site?

• What personal injury was reported? Did anyone declare they were not hurt?

• What was the location of the accident?

• What direction was each vehicle traveling prior to accident?

• What time of day was it when the accident occurred?

• What was the weather situation? 

• Was there anything wrong with an involved vehicle prior to the accident? For example a broken headlight or brake light?

• Was there any damage to vehicles as a result of said accident? Note all parts of the vehicles damaged.

• Were any vehicles towed away from the scene of the accident?

• How did the accident transpire?

• Did anyone make a comment which accepted responsibility for the accident? Such as, “this was my fault/ I didn’t see the stop sign/etc.” 

• Did police report to the scene? Was anyone issued a ticket? Retrieve names and badge numbers of all officers

• Were any drivers involved using company vehicles or driving for work?

Absolutely! You want to contact the police immediately if you are in an accident. This provides proof of the accident and instigates the investigation of the scene. Police will also take statements from witnesses and check other drivers for potentially being under the influence. The police can also bear witness to your injury while on site and possible assist in securing confirmation of fault from another driver.

It may seem simpler to just arrange things with the other driver, especially in minor accidents. However you may miss damage to the vehicle or yourself that doesn’t become known until the next day. Some injury symptoms could take weeks to develop. 

You should reach out to an attorney as soon as you are able.  If you can  do so while still at the accident scene. If you contact Retamar & Millian, P.A. we will immediately step into action. One of our attorneys will promptly consult with you free of charge while all of the relevant evidence is still active and fresh. If possible and valuable we will send an investigator to do a thorough investigation of the accident site to make sure nothing is missed. 

Yes. Nearly all insurance companies have requirements that you promptly report any auto accident. Your insurance agent will to gather all the relevant information regarding your accident whether you are at fault or not. They may also want to take a record statement from you for the accident. If you or your passengers sustained injuries during the accident or you have suspicions your insurance company could try to claim that you are not covered for any reason you should reach out to an attorney before giving them permission to record your statement. 

Please also note that you should for no reason give a statement to another driver’s insurance company without contacting an attorney. 

One thing to remember though is that it is important to provide your insurance company with needed information in a timely manner. Consult your insurance policy to see their requirements. Failure to report promptly could lead to a loss of coverage. 

You should not hesitate to be checked by a medical professional after an accident, even if you initially feel okay. One of the difficult things about accidents is that often the physical symptoms do not begin to make themselves known until 12 to 24 hours after the accident. So, if you just feel stressed and shaken after an accident, tomorrow morning could be a very different story.

Obviously if you are feeling any pain or discomfort immediately after the accident you should seek medical car as soon as possible. Do not assume that your pain will go away. It will likely only get worse and be harder to link to the accident if you wait. You want to have a medical record and timeline of your injury as a result of the accident. Getting early medical care can also minimize the damage and pain you will feel into the future. 

You want to be sure to follow all of the doctor’s advice and never miss an appointment. Do not rely on your own judgement over the instruction of a medical professional. This will affect any potential settlement for the accident. 

If you were injured in a way that required you to get immediate medical care and were taken to the hospital they will have records to confirm your treatment and injuries. You must be sure to follow up with your personal doctor or a specialist after any hospitalization. 

If you can you want to take photos right away. One reason is what’s referred to as “impending skid marks.” When braking a tire leaves an imprint on the pavement right before it starts skidding. They are very faint and often only visible for 24 hours. If you are able to get a photo of the impending skid mark and actual skid mark you can more accurately capture the speed of a car before it hit the brakes. Placing an item such as a shoe beside the skid marks can also help display distances. 

If for some reason you are unable to take photos yourself contact our office as soon as you can. We collaborate with investigators and others who can come to the scene of a serious accident to document valuable evidence before it is too late. 

You may not realize it at the time but having access to physical evidence of your accident can be very important.  If for example a passenger is ejected from the vehicle and injured, an examination of the seatbelt could help determine if that was caused by a malfunction. If the car has been destroyed or sold you do not have access to that evidence. This makes it very hard to file a claim against a manufacturer. 

If your vehicle needs moved to another location you’ll want to inform everyone via certified mail that they are required to preserve any evidence. This would include tow truck drivers, junk yards, police impounds etc. Failure to preserve potential evidence could contribute to them being sued. In certain situations we are forced to go to court promptly to get a restraining order and preliminary injunction to avoid interference with evidence that could be incriminating.

If you encounter difficulty getting any needed evidence related to your accident contact us right away. We collaborate with investigators and others who can come to the scene of a serious accident to document valuable evidence before it is too late. 

You absolutely should. The police may take photos as well but you want to have as many as you can get. Get multiple pictures of the accident location from various angles, the vehicles involved and the people involved if possible. If you can get photos of any injuries sustained. However many pictures you think you need, take 3 times that.  The more photos you have from various angles the more you will be help an accident Reconstructionist to provide an accurate diagram of the collision.

If for some reason you are unable to take photos yourself contact our office as soon as you can. We collaborate with investigators and others who can come to the scene of a serious accident to document valuable evidence before it’s too late. 

When reporting your injury, whether to your doctor, police, paramedics or hospital staff you want to make sure to be specific and detailed. Do not omit any pain or discomfort you are experiencing, even if it seems minor at the time. If anything about your body does not feel right to you, medical personnel need informed so they can have a complete view and informed medical opinion.

Even if it does not seem like it would be related to your accident, such as a dry mouth, it could be a symptom of a larger problem. Any feeling that is not ordinary for you should be considered a possible symptom and reported to a doctor.

Symptoms such as a tingling feeling in your fingers could gurn out to be a ruptured disc in your neck. If this left untreated that can become a severe medical situation later on. If you don’t get it looked at right away the defense in your case could say you acquired the injury elsewhere and you won’t be able to get compensation. 

If you give an oral statement to another driver’s insurance regarding an accident you will end up regretting it. You never want to do that. If you are contacted by their insurance you want to be polite without agreeing to talk. Claims adjusters are professionals at negotiating and are experienced with the techniques needed to get information from you. Their goal is to decrease the amount of money they would have to pay out, so they will discourage you from seeking an attorney and attempt to convince you to give information that could hurt your case.

The best thing for you to do is politely decline any discussion. Thank them for contacting you but state that you are not ready to have a conversation at this time.

You’ll want to reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer such as Retamar &  Millian, P.A. to get advice on the best way to proceed in dealing with the insurance company.