The moments right after an accident can be disorienting but remaining calm and acting fast works to your advantage. When you’re involved in a car or motorcycle accident, remember to follow these rules:
- Stay at the scene: It’s important to stay on the scene no matter how minor or severe an accident is until everyone has been accounted for and a police report has been filed. Checking if anyone got hurt is not only considerate but can help prove you did not abandon the collision.
- Call the police: Contact the police immediately after the accident occurs. If anyone appears to be injured, request medical attention. Even if the damage is minimal, filing a police report is necessary to have a record of the accident and documentation of all the details. Having the police document the accident is critical because it provides the account of a neutral third party professional.
- Record information: Regardless of what information the police gathers for their report, make sure to document your own for personal records. Sometimes the police do not get information right in the report so it helps to have the information to check against the report to determine if changes should be made. Definitely get contact information for anyone else who was in the accident including phone numbers, addresses, email and insurance information as well as driver’s license and license plate numbers. In addition to gathering general information, use a camera phone to take photos of any damage, and of the other vehicles with their license plate numbers. Obtaining the names of witnesses and their accounts of the accident will prove very useful if a legal case arises.
If you have been injured in an Iowa car or motorcycle accident, please contact us for a free case evaluation.