After the crash, you may be in shock, and not really thinking about things. Collisions can range from fender benders to serious rollover crashes and worse, and we have seen them all.
It is very important to do everything you can, from that moment, to make your case easier to prosecute against the at-fault parties.
1) Be safe, always.
Bust out orange triangles, or flares (away from any leaking fluids, if any!) and stay out of the path of other cars. After you have taken some pictures (See No. 3), move your cars from travel lanes to be safe.
2) Make a record.
Call the police, even if you think they will not come out. This call is recorded, and serves to mark the time and date of the collision, just in case there is argument, later.
3) Take pictures.
Pictures are important, but don’t just focus on your car. Make sure you get pictures of the other car (or cars!), the location, the traffic lights, and anything that could be important later on.
4) Identify the driver.
Sometimes, people just exchange insurance information, but knowing who insures the car is not enough, especially if the case has to be litigated. Get a picture of the other person’s driver’s license, or state ID card. Take pictures of the driver, and any passengers, too.
5) Identify any witnesses.
If anyone stops to say ‘I saw the whole thing!” then be sure to get that person’s name, phone number, and address if you can. This may include pedestrians, as well. Witnesses help defend against the “word-vs-word” claims that the insurance companies use to torpedo plaintiffs’ cases. This includes getting the name and phone number of passengers in your own car if you are an Uber or Lyft driver, as the App will never give you that information, and that can hamper your claim.
6) Get checked out.
If you think you have been hurt, go to an emergency room or an urgent care clinic, and tell them what happened, and let the professionals make sure you are ok, or get you the treatment you need to ensure that you are!
7) Call Blaszkow Legal.
Before you call insurance companies, call an attorney. Just like in criminal cases, the insurance companies can – and will – use anything you say against you, later on.
Client Testimonials
I was injured when I was rear-ended while stopped at a traffic light. After many months of unsuccessful attempts to get a fair settlement from the insurance company I finally decided to get a lawyer. I wasn’t sure Mr. Blaszkow could do much better negotiating than I had done on my own, but I was happy he and his staff would be dealing with the insurance company from now on instead of me. Not only did they relieve me of that burden, my settlement was triple the amount I was able to negotiate on my own. Thanks Mr. Blaszkow for representing me and ensuring I received the settlement I deserved.
-Danny G.
