We'll be presenting the 7 most common mistakes made after a car accident and by outlining what to do to help your case, you will be better prepared for what lies ahead of you.
Fatal Mistake #1: Not Documenting Everything at the Accident Scene
1. Stop immediately without blocking traffic and check for any injuries. By law in Massachusetts, you must stop when there has been an accident of any kind, no matter the damage. Do what you can to help those with minor injuries but do not move anyone who has serious injuries unless it’s to move them away from any danger. If you haven’t already, call 911 for immediate medical assistance. These are extremely important: keep your cool, don’t argue or place blame towards the other driver, and do not claim fault, such as “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” Anything that you say from now on can be recounted by other parties and could potentially be used against you.
2. Call the police immediately and fully cooperate with the responding officers. If the other driver tries to dissuade you from calling the police, don’t listen. When the officers arrive, make sure to request a written report of the accident and also the incident number of the repost. You will also want to get the name, badge number, and exact agency that the officer works for. Once the police report is filed, it should be available at the department for pick up in the days following the accident. Verify all of the information in the report and clarify any errors immediately with the officer who wrote the report.
3. Gather information. If the accident happened at a place of business, make sure that the manager on duty at the time of the accident speaks with you in order to write an incident report. If there are surveillance cameras at the scene of the accident, request that the footage be preserved as evidence, in the event your injury was taped. Write the names, addresses, phone numbers, and license plates down of all the people involved in the accident. Contact information on witnesses to the accident is incredibly valuable as well, so try to get a name and at least a phone number.
Take pictures if you are able to, even with your cell phone. If you can record video with your phone, this will also be valuable evidence. Try to get photos of each vehicle involved in the crash. Get pictures of the scene and of street signs, traffic signs or lights and any additional relevant traffic guides. If there are skid marks on the roadway, snap a picture. If there was damage to a telephone pole or a fire hydrant or any other landmark, get a picture. Try to get pictures of the other parties involved or the witnesses, if you can.
4. Exchange information with the other drivers and passengers involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses. Get the other driver’s identification, license plate number, vehicle insurance information, address, phone number and any other contact information. Try to get the contact information for the other passengers and any witnesses that may have seen the accident. Again, whatever you do, don’t say anything about fault or injuries to the other parties. Any statement you do make about the accident, make to the responding police officers or the paramedics who are treating you.
Check back in the coming weeks for the rest of the 7 Fatal Mistakes so that you'll know what to do in the event of an accident.
