Checklist: What to Do After a Car Accident in Amarillo
After a car accident that was caused by someone else, it’s essential that you take the right steps to ensure you have the best chance to collect compensation for any injuries you suffer. It’s a scary and confusing time, but being mindful to take the right steps can protect your right to maximum compensation for your losses.
Explore our car accident checklist and find out how our Amarillo, Texas, car accident lawyers can provide vital help with your claim.
1.Keep Calm
The first thing to do is to keep calm. Before getting out of the car, take a deep breath and count to 10. Getting angry and upset or acting scared and apologetic doesn’t help, and it can hurt your claim later on. Try to keep all your dealings straightforward and professional. Don’t ask what happened, don’t accuse the other driver, and never apologize for anything at the scene.
2. Get Out of the Line of Danger
Move the cars out of the road if you’re able to do so. If you can’t safely get vehicles out of the road, it’s best for everyone to move out of the line of danger and wait for help to arrive. The police will help alert oncoming traffic to avoid further accidents.
3. Call First Responders to the Scene
Once you’ve calmed yourself and moved to safety, it’s time to call for emergency assistance. A 911 call from an accident scene will likely summon both police and paramedics. Both are helpful. Everyone involved in the accident should be assessed by a medical professional. This is a very important step even if you feel fine, as some injuries can take days to develop symptoms.
Next, you’ll want to talk to the police about filing a report. This will give you a document to which you can refer later to help you remember the details of what happened.
4. Talk to the Other Driver
Next, talk with the other driver to exchange information. You don’t need to discuss what happened or discuss who was at fault. Just exchange contact and insurance information.
5. Talk to Any Witnesses
If there were any witnesses to the accident, talk to them as well. It’s OK to get a feel for what they saw, but don’t interrogate them. Simply get their names and contact information if they are willing to share it. They could provide important testimony later on.
6. Call the Insurance Company
As soon as you can, call your own insurance company to let them know what happened. Don’t try to elaborate on the events or tell your story. Just stick to the facts. The rest will come later.
7. Call an Amarillo Car Accident Lawyer
Finally, give our Amarillo car accident lawyers at Tormey & McConnell a call. The days following a serious accident can be some of the most stressful of your life, so it’s important to have an experienced attorney who can help you navigate what comes next. Most importantly, you need someone you can count on to go to bat for you during this difficult time so you can focus on what’s really important – your health and well-being.
At Tormey & McConnell, we’ve helped many people just like you get the compensation they need and deserve for their medical bills, lost income, loss of comfort, and other harm they’ve experienced due to irresponsible drivers.
Give our office a call today or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation. Let us go to bat for you!