Court Radio: Top 10 Tips on What To Do If You Are in a Car Accident
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 4th, 2012
We drive our cars, SUVs, motorcycles and trucks miles and miles every day and nary think about that would happen if we were involved in a vehicle accident from a fender-bender to a serious crash.
But accidents do happen and it’s not a bad idea occasionally to review what you should do if you become involved in a vehicle accident.
An accident scene after emergency vehicles have arrived to aid victims. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/tillsonburg
To remind you about the most important things to remember, the top 10 post-accident tips will be featured on tomorrow’s live Court Radio broadcast at 7 a.m. Sunday as show host and attorney, Dean Weitzman, and his co-host and fellow attorney, David Rapoport, advise you about what to keep in mind if an unfortunate fate should wreck your day.
Court Radio is broadcast live every Sunday morning on Philadelphia’s WRNB 100.3 FM, with a simulcast on Magic 95.9 FM in Baltimore. You can also listen live on the Internet at WRNB 100.3 or on Magic 95.9 via streaming audio.
Among the tips that will be discussed are:
- Stay calm and check on the condition of yourself, any passengers and other involved motorists.
- Call the police via 9-1-1 and be sure that anyone who is injured is treated quickly.
- Do not admit fault to anyone to protect your legal rights while an investigation is conducted into the incident.
- Exchange your personal information with other drivers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, vehicle license plate numbers, vehicle colors, years and models and insurance policy information.
- Take photos of the accident scene using even a simple cell phone camera, or make simple illustrations on paper detailing what happened.
- File an accident report with the police department where the accident occurs.
- Talk to any witnesses who can discuss what they saw and get their names and contact information.
- Seek medical attention for any injuries you receive. Don’t hesitate to be checked out for any injuries, even when they seem minor, because seemingly minor injuries can become more serious soon after an accident when the shock of the incident has subsided.
- Report the accident to your insurance company.
- Talk to a competent, experienced and professional attorney to help advise you on what to do next in dealing with your injuries and property damage.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember, says Weitzman, is that you should never discount the possibility of an injury after you have been involved in a vehicle crash.
“If the police ask you if you are hurt, you shouldn’t rush an answer,” he says. “You’ll have a lot of adrenaline in your system and you may not really notice any injuries. But you might begin to feel related discomfort or pain later, or the next day, or a few days later. If you’ve been in an accident and aren’t sure if you are injured or not, don’t just give a knee-jerk reaction that you are fine.”
That’s not to say that you should make an injury claim if you are not hurt, he says. “You can say that you are going to be checked out by your doctor and leave the door open. Just don’t give a knee-jerk reaction that isn’t based on any facts at that point.”
Be sure to listen in to Court Radio at 7 a.m. Sunday to hear the whole discussion and get additional important tips from co-hosts Dean Weitzman and David Rapoport. And remember to call in with your own questions and comments on this hot topic.
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Listeners can call in with their legal questions to 800-539-1479 or they can email their questions to [email protected]. Participants are asked to only ask or submit ONE question each time so that all callers have a chance to discuss the legal topics that are on their minds.
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