Auto Collision law firms and attorneys know what to do if you have been in a car, van, truck or sports utility vehicle (SUV) or bus accident. Do you? When you are injured in a car accident and not at fault, you are likely entitled to money damages for your injuries and losses including lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and reimbursement for serious property damage to your vehicle. Before you think about recovering these losses in court, follow this checklist below.
Before you call an attorney or your insurance company, be prepared to do the things on this list.
Call the Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester (or your local area Police) or the South Carolina Highway Patrol no matter how minor or serious the accident. An official report prepared by the police officer citing if there are injuries and who is at fault will assist you later when you file your insurance claim against the at-fault driver or your insurance.
At the accident scene, turn off your car, truck, van, bus or sports utility vehicle for your safety and the safety of others. Call an ambulance if someone has been hurt or injured and take all possible precautions to prevent further accidents and ensure the safety of those involved.
Call an ambulance if someone has been hurt or injured and take all possible precautions to prevent further accidents and ensure the safety of those involved.
Get the names of all witnesses to the wreck. Be sure to get addresses, phone numbers and a brief statement from each witness.
Take notes on how the collision occurred and draw a diagram accident scene.
Remain at the scene to complete the tasks above unless you are hurt.
File reports. The police will provide each driver in the accident with a Form (FR-10) where each driver is required to prove they have insurance. You must file the FR-10 and report the accident within 15 days to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (The attorneys at the law firm of Howell Law provide this service as a courtesy to our clients).
Contact your lawyer. There are many pitfalls that can arise when you have been in a motor vehicle accident. Seek legal advice immediately to learn and protect your rights.
Notify your insurance company. Your law firm or attorney can do this for you. Failure to report the accident in a timely fashion can affect your legal rights. Failure to act fast can affect your making the proper recovery of all damages in your case.
Remember, stay calm and follow this list given above. Now you know what to do when you have been in a car wreck.