Your ability to make clear decisions after an auto accident is greatly diminished because your senses are overwhelmed. That’s why it’s important you understand how to avoid the most common mistakes made by accident victims.
After all, what you learn today can help you address your injuries, deal more effectively with your insurance agency, reduce your repair costs and secure legal representation, if necessary.
Mistake #1: You don’t stop after the collision. No one can ever have a valid excuse for failing to stop after an accident. Hit and run offenses are serious crimes, with increased penalties if anyone suffered an injury during the accident.
Mistake #2: You attempt to move someone who is seriously injured. If someone is seriously injured, do not attempt to move him or her unless it is absolutely necessary to protect that person from further injury.
Mistake #3: You fail to collect contact information from other drivers. Be sure to get the other driver’s name, address, phone numbers, license number, insurance carrier, policy number and agent’s name, and phone number. In addition, note the make, model, year, color and license plate number of the other car.
Mistake #4: You fail to collect contact information from eye witnesses. If eye witnesses are involved, obtain their names, addresses and phone numbers. You should also record where each witness was located when the accident occurred and, if possible, a short statement of what the witness observed.
Mistake #5: You don’t document the accident scene. If you have access to a camera, take pictures. If no camera is available, make a diagram of the accident, indicating the direction of travel, the speed of each car and what happened. Also, measure any skid marks and record the street conditions (e.g., wet, dry, under construction, lots of gravel, big potholes, etc.) and any signs restricting the free flow of traffic. You may also want to record the posted speed limit and anything else that will help you remember later what occurred prior to the accident.
Mistake #6: You don’t provide enough information for the investigating officer’s report. You always want to make sure the police officer notes in the report that you were wearing your seat belt. If you noticed the other driver was not wearing a seat belt, mention this to the investigating officer.
Mistake #7: You don’t report the accident. If you contact the police and an officer doesn’t arrive, go to the nearest police station and report the accident within 24 hours.
To set up your free, no-obligation consultation, contact me at my Honolulu, Hawaii, office today. Any information discussed will remain confidential.
