There are several things you should do immediately after a car accident to protect your rights and your ability to obtain compensation for your injuries and property damage.
- Immediately notify the police, and, if necessary, call for medical attention.
- If you need emergency medical attention, accept it and follow emergency responders’ instructions. If you don’t need emergency care, you should still see a doctor as soon as possible for a full exam to rule out any hidden injuries.
- If you can, take pictures (with a camera or cell phone) of the accident scene, including the cars involved and their positions and damage, people, your injuries and debris from the crash.
- Cooperate with police, but answer only the questions they ask without volunteering opinions. Do not admit fault.
- Do not make statements about the accident to anyone except the police.
- Obtain all insurance information, names and license plate numbers, phone numbers and addresses of anyone involved in the accident. (The police will likely get this information and share it with each driver.)
- Obtain the names and contact information for all witnesses.