Car accidents can be shocking and entirely disruptive to your life in a single moment, and they can happen anywhere at any time. The last thing you may want to think of is trying to collect critical legal information after you’ve just been hit or trying to recover from an impact. However, if you’re able to without adding to your injuries, simple details immediately available can be extremely helpful for your full recovery.
In any accident, your first priority if hurt is to get medical attention. Once you are stabilized, however, if you can focus attention on what’s around you, start trying to grab details. Focus on the following if you can:
- Basic identification – Make a point to ask for and collect the other driver’s contact information. This is required to be shared, and you want to collect their name, insurance provider, driver’s license number, and registration. If you have a phone, just take a picture of everything. It’s easier than remembering or writing things down.
- Car Data – Try to get the other vehicle’s identifying information as well. Again, a phone camera works really well if you can see the car, even at a distance. If not, have a friend do it for you or ask a police officer’s help if present.
- Witnesses or Passengers – If there were passengers in your car or the other vehicle, try to obtain their names and phone numbers if possible. They can all provide valuable additional details later.
- Police – Any police officers who appear should be able to provide you with a business card for their contact, in addition to a copy of their report. If not, at least get the name and badge number of the officer.
- Photographs – Take as many photographs as possible of your traffic accident, the vehicles involved, and the area. It all adds more specifics to what shaped the accident and conditions. Look for traffic signs in the immediate area and capture them as well. If there are any diversions or barriers, those are important too. Photographs are great because of how much detail they capture, ranging from the immediate weather conditions to lighting to the people and property involved.
- Contact Insurance – Let your insurance company know you’ve been in an accident and collect all their information for your claim. You aren’t agreeing yet to any settlement, but you do need the information for your attorney if you choose to pursue a personal injury case later.
While a Grand Junction accident lawyer can do a lot for recovery in a personal injury case, particularly a vehicle accident, the details you’re able to capture right after the accident can make a big difference as well. Oftentimes, significant differences in recovery can shift based on details that many miss in their recollections but are clearly present in a photograph or from a missed witness. Don’t worry so much about the specifics or capturing everything. Just try to record and collect as much as you can without injuring yourself worse or putting yourself at further risk. There’s plenty of people that get a little crazy after accidents.