I was in a car accident, what do I do now?

In the world of Personal Injury, we all know car accidents happen every day in North Carolina and if you’re involved in one the hope is that the damage is limited to your car.  The most common question we get from friends, family, and folks involved in accidents is “What do I do after getting in a car accident?” The purpose of this blog post is to provide a brief overview of the initial steps to take if you or someone you know is involved in a car accident.

The first thing to do is call 911.  You want to be sure that you receive medical attention, if needed, for any injuries you sustain as a result of the accident.  You also want to be sure the police respond so they can begin their process of documenting the accident and helping to determine which driver is at fault. You also want to, if possible, move the vehicles to safety to avoid any further damage and any risk of harm to yourself by passing vehicles.

The next thing you want to do is gather any and all information (including insurance/license plate information) from the other drivers involved in the accident.  As part of this, if witnesses stop, we also recommend gathering their contact information so they can be contacted by your attorney, if needed.

The next step we recommend is to contact an experienced Personal Injury Attorney to help you gain the proper treatment to ensure your recovery and to also assist in any claims you may have against the other driver(s).  A common misconception is that hiring a lawyer will be too expensive.  We always tell folks that hiring a lawyer may increase your recovery amount.  At Randall & Stump, you don’t pay a penny unless we recover money for you. We also understand, that no matter how nice the insurance adjuster tries to be with you over the telephone, they are not looking out for your best interest.  At Randall & Stump, we are looking out for your best interests and will fight for you to ensure you are made whole for the injuries you suffered due to someone else’s negligence. 

In closing, we would also suggest not making any admissions of fault to the police at the scene of the accident nor to the insurance company prior to speaking with an attorney.  We understand that immediately after an accident you may be confused as to what just happened but we do not want you to make any incorrect statements that could hurt you down the road.