What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident?

What should I do immediately after a car accident? You should first attend to your safety. After that, you can take steps to support your potential car accident claim right from the scene.

Then, partner with an experienced Seattle car accident lawyer to take your claim through the legal process with skill and efficiency.

Take Care of Yourself and Others First

Immediately after a car accident, you may be too injured to move without causing further harm. In those cases, stay put. Do not move until emergency care arrives. Be especially careful if you sustain an injury to the head, neck, or back. In worst-case scenarios, additional stress on those injuries could cause paralysis.

If you’re able, pull your car off the road to a safer area. You want to prevent further damage to yourself or others by remaining in the path of traffic. Then, if you can move safely, check on others involved and render aid if needed. This may just mean you need to call for emergency help.

Report the Accident to Authorities and Insurance Companies

Per the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 46.52.030, you must report any accident resulting in death, injury, or property damage of more than $500 to authorities within four days of the crash. It is best to call law enforcement to the scene so that they can make an immediate report. This report will likely be an important piece of evidence in your accident claim.

The police report includes the date, time, and location of the crash. It also states information about the circumstances of the accident, the parties involved, and their insurance. You need to report the accident to your insurance company. When giving any report, stick to giving basic facts only. Do not admit fault and do not speculate about the accident’s cause.

Exchange Information With Other Parties Involved

You’ll need to exchange information with other parties involved immediately after a car accident. Again, watch what you say to the others involved and keep a cool head. You may have a right to be angry, but an argument will only make matters worse.

Collect the other parties’ contact and insurance information. Speak to witnesses and get their contact details. Ask them to text or email you the details of what they saw happen and send that information to you right away. As their memories fade, they may forget details that could support your claim. Your attorney will follow up with those witnesses, too.

Collect Evidence from the Accident Site

Collecting evidence is something you should do immediately after a car accident. Take photos and video of the scene. Note the positions of the cars and the damage to each vehicle. Capture road conditions and traffic patterns. Catch the location of nearby cameras. The footage may contain valuable information.

There isn’t a cap on personal injury settlements in Washington. The strength of your evidence plays an important role in how much compensation you may collect, as does Washington’s negligence law, found in RCW 4.22.005. Your compensation amount can be lowered by whatever percentage of fault you hold for the accident.

An experienced attorney will pursue all paths of evidence, collecting information to strengthen your claim and protect you from unfair blame and reductions in compensation.

Get Medical Attention as Soon as Possible After a Car Accident

You may not need emergency transport to a medical facility after your accident. Even so, you need to see a doctor within a few hours of the crash or at most, by the next day. Getting a fast diagnosis and treatment orders protects you and your claim.

Some injuries may not seem so serious at first, but as the hours go by, your symptoms may worsen. Delayed care can make the injury worse and put you in danger of long-term consequences. It can also weaken your claim.

The negligent party could blame your debilitation on your decision to postpone care or claim your injuries could not really be so bad if they did not demand faster attention. Be sure to follow all treatment orders.

Speak With a Car Accident Attorney

If you’re not sure if you need a lawyer for a car accident, it is best to assume you do. We give free case consultations, so there is no risk in reaching out. The real risk comes with not getting the representation you need. Once you enter a legal partnership, your attorney will handle all elements of your claim.

After conducting an investigation to identify the party at fault, your attorney can file your legal claim with the court system within the car crash statute of limitations in Washington. This deadline is three years for most accident situations.

This deadline shrinks, and procedures for filing change if your accident is with a government entity. For example, your crash could be with a public works vehicle. A lawyer can take this claim through the process established in RCW 4.96.020.

What Not to Do Immediately After a Car Accident

It’s also important to know what not to do after a car accident. You may want to talk to friends and family about the crash. Hold off on extensive conversations until speaking with a lawyer who can guide your comments.

Avoid posting on social media, even about events not related to the crash. The other side will review your accounts, looking for ways to undermine your claim. Do not speak to the other side’s insurance representatives. They know how to use your words against you or implement strategies to convince you to accept lowball offers.

We’re Here to Protect You from the Start

Puget Law Group can tell you what you should do immediately after a car accident and will be there for you in the days that follow.

We can lead your fight for justice and support you throughout the process. Connect with us for a free case review. We’re here to protect you and fight for you from the start of your claim to its resolution.