If you or a loved one is involved in a car crash or truck accident there are certain actions you can take to protect your legal rights, and also to gather and preserve evidence in order to help successfully litigate your personal injury claim against the insurance company.
- Call 911 It’s important to contact the police as quickly as possible to try to ensure the preservation of the accident scene. Be sure to request a copy of the police report from the officer or find out how to obtain it once completed.
- What to Say – It is true that anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Therefore, be very careful about what you say after being involved in a an accident. While you have a duty to cooperate with police officers and your own insurance company, you do not have to talk to the driver of the other vehicle or their insurance company. Even comments like I’m sorry, can be brought up later in a lawsuit.
- Take Pictures Use your cell phone to take pictures of the accident scene. Some important things to capture would be the license plate number, (If the accident involved a truck there may be an additional trailer license plate number) any skid marks made by the car or truck, the condition of all vehicles involved etc.
- Information Gathering Take notes around the accident scene, examples of information that would be helpful include: insurance and license information from the driver, insurance information of the driver, name and contact information of any witnesses, names and contact information of anyone taking pictures or talking to witnesses on scene.
- Document It’s important to document all lost wages, medical bills, and keep copies of any bills or receipts connected with the accident.
What You Avoid After a Car or Truck Accident
When you’ve been involved in a traffic accident in order to safeguard your chances of obtaining full compensation for your injuries it’s important to avoid the following:
- Politeness is an admirable trait and part of being Minnesota nice but this is not the time. Do not apologize, accept blame, or make accusations of blame to the driver of the vehicle.
- Do not refuse medical treatment at the accident scene. Not all car accident injuries elicit immediate symptoms and refusing treatment could compromise future injury claims.
- Do not give a verbal or written statement to an insurance company without consulting with your attorney first.
McEwen & Kestner should be your First Call when looking for someone to represent your accident injury case. Our law firm has more than 20 years of experience representing injured people and their families. Our attorneys have achieved some of the most significant victories in Minnesota for the rights of the injured.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash or truck accident, contact us to discuss your case.
