What To Do If You Are In A Car Accident: Gather Information

Aside from the visual information you will need to compile a case for a claim, there is more still you will need to successfully document before moving on your merry way.  The smaller number of specific and exact words and definitions you use, will directly help you to get in touch with the right car accident lawyer in Utah after a car accident. In the aftermath of a damaging collision, the questions you ask should not include visceral reactions like “What were you thinking?” or “How dare you?”  Without any argumentation whatsoever, it is perfectly possible for all parties involved to acquire the needed information and proceed to file their respective claims.  Your substitution for an exchange of accusations is as follows:

Seven Types of Information to Gather After a Car Accident

1. The Contact Information of the Other(s) Involved

It will be much easier for your insurance provider to examine your claim if you give them the information they need to put together.  Having the contact information of the other driver(s) allows them to access police reports and piece together all facets of the narrative.  This information should include their name, address, phone number, email address, and driver’s license number.  In addition, securing the names and numbers of any witnesses to the accident may come in handy if you should run into any snags while dealing with your insurance company.

2. Insurance Information

An exchange of insurance information enables your insurer and those of anyone else in the accident to interact with one another.  Since the amount each pays and to who depends upon comparative fault (as suggested by the narrative in police accident reports and claim forms) they will have to negotiate between themselves in their configuring of settlements for their clients.  This information should include insurance carriers and policy numbers.

3. Ambulance Information

In accidents where someone was transported to emergency care via ambulance, the costs of the ambulance ride will have to be accounted for in compensation.  Therefore, getting ambulance information on the scene or shortly thereafter saves time later on.

4. Towing Information

One obvious reason to learn who towed away what vehicles and where is that they will eventually need to be reclaimed.  Also, like ambulance information, it may need to be factored into compensatory costs.

5. Police Information

The names, departments, and badge numbers of the officers responding to the scene and to whom the accident reports are made out are useful in part because remembering where you filed your report opens access to other useful information, and in part, because a police officer naturally carries more clout than another witness.  This is someone with whom you want to keep in touch.

6. The Exact Location of the Accident

If you have taken photographs of the accident scene, it is unlikely that you can forget where it took place.  However, you will not be the only one analyzing the area and should make detailed notes of the street(s) and landmarks at which key events of the accident occurred.

7. The Make and Model of Each Vehicle

Not only is it vital to your credibility to bear this information in the forefront of your mind (even if you aren’t a car person, you should have a description on hand); it can help to identify other drivers should they leave the scene of an accident.  Even remembering that they were driving a silver van with 4 doors is better than nothing. All of this information amounts to keeping those who contributed or responded to the accident within reach and keeping tabs on anything with a price tag.  If any item of the accident could potentially cost, you can and should seek reimbursement for it.  Granted reimbursement does depend on your ability to locate witnesses or the insurance providers of those responsible for the accident.  Most of these steps are intuitive.

If you are reading this because you have recently been in a car accident then you should contact The Utah Car Crash Attorneys. Get the legal guidance you need.

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