The days and weeks immediately following a car accident can be very confusing. There is so much conflicting information on what to do immediately following a car accident. As experienced personal injury attorneys, we are well-versed in assisting Texans through the post-accident timeline.
Follow These Steps Immediately After Your Accident
- Check for Injuries: Ensure you or everyone in your vehicle is safe. If anyone requires emergency medical services, call 911 immediately. Please do not attempt to move them. E.M.S. is trained for situations like these and prepared to help. Try to remain calm, and remember that help will arrive soon.
- Call the Police: Following an accident, law enforcement can assist in ensuring safety and order at the scene. While you wait for the police to arrive, and if you can safely do so, attempt to collect the information of witnesses and those involved in the accident. This includes the names, contact information, and license plate numbers of those involved in the accident. Police may do this as well once they arrive, but sharing this information with the officer or for your records can be massively beneficial. Also, be sure to take note of the officer’s name and badge number that responds to the accident.
- Take Detailed Photos & Videos – If you are in a safe location to do so, capturing photos and video of your wreck can be precious in either settlement negotiations or if your case goes to trial. Whether it be your phone, a digital camera, or even a disposable camera, it’s highly recommended to do so. Be sure to document:
- License plates and other identifying details of the vehicles involved in the wreck
- Position of the vehicles before being moved by tow trucks or other relevant parties
- Proof of insurance for all involved and driver’s license
- All major & minor damage locations
- A complete walk-through/walk-around of the vehicle on video
- Do not admit fault or place blame: Immediately accepting or attempting to pin fault on the opposing driver is not recommended. In general, besides exchanging contact/insurance information & checking on their well-being, it is best not to engage with the other people involved in the accident. Allow the police to write their report of the incident, and be sure to give your testimony to the responding officer.
- Check for Injuries: Ask for assistance in checking yourself for injuries. This isn’t always the case, even if you don’t feel injured immediately following the accident. Follow up with a doctor as soon as the next day and have them perform a check-up and an evaluation on you.
- Take Detailed Notes: After your accident, it is a great idea to create a thorough timeline and detailed notes. Small but important details are often forgotten, so write them down as soon as possible. Anything related to your crash could be relevant, so don’t be afraid to jot it down.
- Do Not Ignore Your Body: Injuries from a car accident can take several days to manifest. Please do not ignore your body telling you it needs medical attention. Monitor yourself over several days. Better safe than sorry.
After your Accident
Following your accident, your crash report is one of the most critical pieces of information. If you choose to work with an experienced car accident lawyer like Sutliff & Stout, your legal representatives will have likely already acquired this document on your behalf. However, it’s recommended that you have a copy as well. Thankfully, Texas has made obtaining a crash report reasonably easy.
If you were involved in an accident in Cypress, you can obtain a copy of your police report from the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT maintains an online database known as the Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.) Crash reports can be purchased from this portal.
If you seek to acquire your report in person, you may have a few avenues. Depending on which part of Cypress your accident occurred in, you will want to contact that police department or the local sheriff’s office to receive a paper copy of your report.
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