There are several things that you must know and do after a car accident in Idaho in order to protect yourself and to avoid problems later. Not taking these steps puts you at serious risk when you otherwise would not be.
What you should know and do after a car accident:
1. You are legally obligated to stop after you are in a car accident. Even if there is minimal or no damage to your car – stop anyways.
2. Call the police and make sure there is a police report filed no matter how small the collision appears to be. You have no idea what the scope of your injuries are even if the collision appears minor based on the appearance of the car damage. You could be injured no matter how minor the car damage might be.
3. Do not admit fault, liability, or responsibility for the accident. Liability is a legal term and there are various ways to interpret it. It is better for an attorney at Storer & Steen Injury Lawyers to help determine fault, liability, or responsibility later after all the facts are clear and you are not responding to such questions after the shock of a collision.
4. Do not move the vehicles unless they are blocking traffic and they pose a risk to the public. It is better to wait for the police to evaluate the scene first before moving the vehicles.
5. Check to see if anyone needs medical or emergency care.
6. Limit your conversation with other people involved. In particular, do not discuss or agree to fault for the collision. Only discuss details of the collision with the investigating police officer or medical professionals.
7. Get details of the collision:
a. Names, addresses, and phone numbers of all those people involved.
b. Names and contact information from any witnesses.
c. Description of cars and license plate numbers.
d. Insurance company information of the other drivers.
e. VIN of the other cars if possible.
f. Take pictures of the scene and car damage from different angles.
g. Make notes about the driving conditions such as weather and visibility.
8. Contact your insurance company to report the collision.
9. Contact the attorneys at Storer & Steen at 208.323.0024 for a free case evaluation. It is best to do this as quickly as possible after a collision so they can investigate the collision prior to evidence being destroyed, lost, or altered. They will help determine issues of liability and will be a buffer between you and the insurance companies. They will help resolve issues relating to car damage, assist in your getting a rental car, and facilitate treatment of your injuries including seeing a medical doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist. They will resolve problems with the insurance companies so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
10. Should you be contacted by a prosecutor regarding a traffic court trial or hearing, call Storer & Steen immediately for instructions. It is important that you cooperate with the prosecutor since your not doing so may result in the adverse driver’s ticket or citation being dismissed. This will result in unnecessary liability disputes later.
11. Contact Storer & Steen if you received a citation or ticket and you think it is unfair. Although they try their best, the police officer is not always right when citing someone. Such tickets or citations should be contested.
The average person will be involved in a car accident once every 17.8 years. Unfortunately, this occurs with far more frequency for some of us. This statistic does not include bike or truck accidents or other types of injuries involving a vehicle. Hopefully, this article will help to avoid some of the frustrations commonly dealt with due to not knowing how to handle such situations.