Easy Ways to Obtain Info after Car Accident
A majority of people are aware that after being involved in a car accident, there are different steps to take to ensure that you are obtaining all the information that is necessary for insurance purposes. In some cases, the car accident may result in serious damages or injuries that would later result in a car accident claim. In these instances, obtaining certain information is even more helpful to your personal injury claim.
Obtaining Information at the Scene of an Accident
There are a lot of things going on at the scene of an accident which can make it difficult to obtain information. There is a strong chance that you are on the side of a busy road waiting for the police to arrive, or the weather could be inclement making it difficult to speak with the other driver without putting your or them at risk.
Contrada & Associates has handled thousands of car accident cases, helping individuals receive settlements for the injuries they’ve sustained and the pain and suffering they’ve endured. Through this experience, we believe that obtaining certain pieces of information after the accident will assist in your personal injury case. If you are involved in a car accident, get the below information from the other driver to share with your car accident lawyer:
- Name of other driver
- Address and phone number
- Car insurance information
While obtaining this information can assist in the personal injury claim process, do not put yourself in danger to get it (i.e. if you’re on a busy highway with no shoulder room to communicate with the other driver, do not risk being struck by an oncoming vehicle). Also, the other driver may be reluctant to share this information with you. The advice of our car accident lawyers is that if you can get the information – great; if you can’t get the information – the lawyers at Contrada & Associates will know what steps to take.
How to get the information Fast
As we explained earlier, the scene of a car accident is stressful and there are a lot of things going on. Writing down a person’s contact information on a scrap piece of paper (if you can find one in your car) may seem like it takes forever, or you could be too shaken up to write legibly. An easy to way to obtain the contact information in its entirety after an accident is to pull your phone out and take a picture. Ask the individual if they have a business card that you can take a picture of, in addition to taking a photo of their car insurance information. We also recommend taking a photo of the other driver’s license plate.
If you and the other driver decides to move your vehicles before the police arrive, take several photos of where the cars are at first before moving.
If there is a witness on the scene of the accident who can help you to prove that you did not cause the accident and that the other driver was at-fault, we highly recommend getting their information as well. Oftentimes witnesses may not stay at the scene very long as they likely have somewhere else to be, making it crucial to obtain their name and phone number in the easiest way possible, which could be taking a picture of their card.
Contacting a Car accident Lawyer
If you have suffered injuries in your car accident, seek medical attention. A reminder from our car accident lawyers is that sometimes car accident victims mistake their injuries for temporary discomfort and wait one to two weeks before visiting their doctor. If you have any pain following your accident, seek medical attention and then contact a car accident lawyer.
If you would like to speak to one of the car accident lawyers at Contrada & Associates about your accident, call 419.841.4400. You will have the opportunity to review the accident with a lawyer and receive legal guidance as to the next steps to take.