Miami Car Accident Attorney
6 Things You Must Do After An Accident To Protect Yourself.
In an instant, a motor vehicle crash can disrupt everything about your life. Your injuries couldtake away your ability to work, care for your family, or enjoy normal activities.
As you struggle with financial and emotional hardships, you might not know where to begin with an auto accident claim.
It costs nothing to talk to us at the Law Offices of Kirshner, Groff & Diaz.
We can have a cup of coffee and hear your story.
You’ll owe nothing unless you hire us and we collect a settlement for your injuries.
You won’t have to go through assistants and wait for someone to get back to you. We’re a multilingual law office prepared to serve everyone and anyone who has been injured.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision, there are certain things you must do to protect yourself and your interests.
The following is a list of the top six things you should do if you are in an automobile accident:
1. Stop
Never drive away from the scene of an accident, even a minor one.
2. Call The Police
Even if there are no serious injuries, it is a good idea to call the police. You may need a police report to file a claim with your insurance company, even if it is just to make a claim for damage to your vehicle.
The vehicles involved in the accident should remain where they are, unless they interfere with traffic.
3. Take Photos
If you happen to have a camera in your vehicle, or a cell phone equipped with a camera, you should take pictures of the vehicles if there is visible damage.
If you have visible injuries, you should photograph them as well. However, you should in no way interfere with the on-going police investigation.
If you cannot take pictures at the scene of the accident, take them as soon as possible after the accident.
4. Exchange Information
It costs nothing to talk to us at the Law Offices of Kirshner, Groff & Diaz. You can have a cup of coffee and tell us your story.
You’ll owe nothing unless you hire us and we collect a settlement for your injuries.
Typically, the investigating police officer obtains this information. However, if the police do not respond to the accident, you should obtain the name, address and telephone number of all persons involved in the accident, drivers and passengers alike.
You should also obtain information about insurance by asking to see the insurance card for all vehicles involved in the accident.
If there are witnesses, you should get information from them as well so that you or your attorney can contact them in the future.
If police respond to the accident, the investigating officer usually will provide all drivers with a police report number.
You can use that number later to obtain the police report. If the accident occurs on a state highway, you must request the report from the state police.
5. If A Hit & Run
Get a picture of the other driver’s license plate. Check the area to see if there are any surveillance cameras which captured the incident. Without some identifying information, the person who hit your car will get away with the crime.
6. Protect Your Rights
Perhaps the most important thing you should do after an accident is to consult your attorney. Your attorney can protect your rights and make sure valuable evidence is not destroyed.
Often, insurance companies want to take statements immediately after an accident. It is important that you have received legal advice before providing such a statement.
Your attorney can advise you on issues ranging from how to make sure you are fully compensated for your vehicle to how to make sure you are getting the best medical treatment available.
Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means there is no legal fee unless the attorney recovers compensation for your injuries.
