A car wreck can happen in seconds, but what you do afterward can affect your health and your ability to recover compensation for your injuries. If you have been involved in a car accident in Kentucky, here are 12 important steps to take.
1. Call 911
Report the wreck and ask for police and emergency medical assistance when needed. A police investigation can document important information about how the collision occurred.
2. Get Medical Attention
Your health comes first. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent after a crash. If you are hurting or develop symptoms after leaving the scene, seek appropriate medical care and tell your healthcare providers about all of your symptoms.
3. Take Photos and Videos
If you can safely do so, use your phone to document the scene. Take pictures of:
- All vehicles and vehicle damage
- The roadway and surrounding area
- Skid marks, debris, and damaged property
- Traffic signs and signals
- Visible injuries
- Weather and road conditions
Photos taken immediately after a wreck may preserve evidence that will later disappear.
4. Get the Other Driver’s Information
Obtain the other driver’s name, contact information, driver’s license information, license plate number, and insurance information.
If there are witnesses, get their names and telephone numbers as well.
5. Don’t Admit Fault
Cooperate with law enforcement and provide accurate information, but don’t guess about things you don’t know or accept responsibility for the wreck simply because you are shaken up.
Determining legal fault may require information that isn’t available at the scene.
6. Preserve Evidence
Keep anything that may be relevant to your claim, including:
- Photographs and videos
- Dash-camera footage
- Damaged personal property
- Medical records and bills
- Repair estimates
- Towing and storage receipts
- Rental-car expenses
- Insurance correspondence
Don’t delete texts, emails, photographs, or other information related to the collision.
7. Be Careful When Talking to Insurance Companies
An insurance adjuster may contact you soon after the wreck and ask for a recorded statement, medical authorization, or other information.
Remember that the insurance company will investigate the claim before deciding what it believes it should pay. Make sure you understand what you are being asked to provide or sign.
8. Don’t Rush Into a Settlement
A quick settlement isn’t necessarily a fair settlement.
Before resolving an injury claim, it is important to understand the nature and extent of your injuries, whether you will need additional medical treatment, whether you have lost income, and whether the injuries may cause future problems.
Once a claim is finally settled and released, you generally cannot return later and ask for additional compensation because your injuries turned out to be worse than expected.
9. Be Careful With Social Media
Insurance companies and defense attorneys may review publicly available social-media posts.
Avoid posting about the wreck, your injuries, your activities, your medical treatment, or your claim while the case is pending.
10. Keep Track of Your Expenses and Lost Income
Keep a file containing documents related to the wreck, including medical bills, prescription expenses, travel expenses for medical treatment, towing charges, repair costs, rental-car expenses, and documentation of time missed from work.
Good records can make it much easier to document your damages later.
11. Follow Your Doctor’s Recommendations
Attend scheduled appointments, physical therapy, diagnostic testing, and specialist referrals.
If you continue to experience pain or other symptoms, tell your healthcare providers. Your medical records are an important part of documenting your injuries and recovery.
12. Talk to a Kentucky Car Wreck Attorney
You don’t have to handle the insurance companies and legal process by yourself.
An attorney can investigate the wreck, preserve evidence, obtain records, communicate with insurance companies, determine what insurance coverage may be available, and pursue compensation for your injuries and other damages.
Evidence can disappear and legal deadlines apply, so it is important not to wait too long to learn about your rights.
Injured in a Kentucky Car Wreck?
Bates & Slone Attorneys at Law represents people injured in car wrecks throughout Eastern Kentucky and across the Commonwealth.
No attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
If you or a family member has been injured in a car wreck, contact Bates & Slone to discuss your case.