What to Do After a Car Accident in California

Victims of car accidents need to take action right away to both prioritize their health and safeguard their ability to recover damages. Knowing what actions to take before a car accident happens helps you avoid financial losses later.

Even if you have suffered an accident and did not take all of these steps, contact your car accident attorney in California as soon as possible. A San Diego car accident attorney can help you right away.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident

After a car accident, move your vehicle out of the way to prevent further damage and call 911 for medical and police assistance. Then, take these steps:

• Check with the other driver if it is safe to do. If you can render help and they need it, offer to do so. Be careful about what you say to the other driver. Avoid making any statements that may make you seem like you are at fault.
• Get the details of the other driver. You will need their contact information, driver’s license, and insurance information. Taking a photo of these documents is the easiest way to capture the information fast.
• Take photos of what happened. That includes the damage to your vehicle and your injuries. Take a photo of the other driver’s vehicle, any debris in the roadway, and any factors you believe contributed to the accident. That might include a nonworking traffic light or poor road conditions due to weather.
• Ask witnesses to provide their contact information. They may be willing to offer a statement about what they saw. Anyone who stopped is someone you want to gather details from to protect critical information.
• Provide a statement to the responding police, if possible. Only provide clear statements of fact, without any speculation on what you think may have occurred or any statements that seem to admit fault. Do not apologize for the accident or tell the police you were using your phone.
• Get medical care immediately. It is always important to seek care even if you feel okay. Many of the most significant injuries do not have obvious initial symptoms, including traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, and internal bleeding. Going to the hospital right away also makes it clear your injuries came from the accident.

After you get medical care, make sure you follow up with your doctor’s instructions. Keep a log of any financial losses you have related to the accident, emotional strife you are feeling as a result of the incident, and any physical injuries that develop. This log should document missed time at work and costs for any medical care you pay out of pocket.

Contact an Attorney Immediately

As soon as you are out of the hospital, it is time to work on protecting your case. That is when it becomes critical to call our car accident lawyer in California for guidance. We will handle informing the insurance companies of what occurred and building your claim for you. By allowing us to help you, you avoid costly mistakes and oversights. The statute of limitations in California gives you 2 full years to file a lawsuit against those who caused the accident. Do not rush to do so.

Call a San Diego car accident lawyer now for a free consultation. Let us get started on your case.