Knowing What To Do After An Automobile Accident

Most people get flustered after a car accident. What do I do? What information do I need from the other driver? Who should I contact? Do I need an accident report? Will the collision affect my insurance? Will the insurance company approve my claim? And the list goes on.

Not knowing what to do can lead to mistakes. After a minor fender bender with minimal property damage, a mistake might cost you a few dollars. After a collision involving injuries, mistakes can prove very costly. It’s why you should always contact a personal injury attorney, like those at Towe & Fitzpatrick, PLLC, in Missoula, immediately.

If you were injured in a car accident, call our office at 800-639-7106 for a free consultation. We accept cases throughout Montana and never charge a fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Four Simple Guidelines To Get You Started

The sooner you get an attorney involved, the better chance you have at protecting your claim. Is there anything you can do to help before calling an attorney?

Here are a few simple guidelines to follow:

  1. Call the police: Many people who cause an accident will ask the other driver not to call the police because they want to avoid a ticket and an increase in the cost of their insurance. Do not agree. Call the police so that officers trained in accident investigation can investigate and report what happened. The police will often determine conclusively the liability of the person who caused the accident by issuing a ticket for a traffic violation. The police will also obtain necessary insurance information from the involved drivers, take witness statements and check for drug or alcohol use.
  2. Get information: This includes full names, addresses and telephone numbers of all drivers involved; the full names, addresses and telephone numbers of all passengers; the full names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses; the names of the insurance companies of all drivers involved as well as the policy numbers; and the names of the police who investigate the accident.
  3. Take notes: This covers the location of the accident; the time of day, weather conditions and road conditions; the direction of travel of the vehicles involved; whether any drivers appear to be intoxicated; whether any of the vehicles had to be towed; whether anyone else was injured; and whether anyone accepted responsibility for the accident or made a comment accepting fault.
  4. Seek medical attention: Never hesitate to go to the emergency room or your doctor after an
    accident. You may not begin to feel the effects of an accident for a few days. Don’t delay treatment! Doing so will not only prolong your recovery, but it will allow the insurance company to argue that you were not hurt in the accident.

Is There Anything You Should Not Do?

Never give an oral or written statement to an insurance company without the advice of an attorney. Don’t go it alone. Insurance adjusters are skilled negotiators trained by insurance company lawyers to try to get you to make statements that will hurt your claim.

We Make Getting Help Easy | Free Initial Consultations At Home Or Hospital

If you are injured in an automobile accident, we make getting experienced legal advice easy. We offer free initial consultations and can accommodate your needs by visiting you at home, in the hospital and on weekends by appointment.

Call our office at 800-639-7106 or email us to schedule your free initial consultation with a lawyer.