Car Accident Lawyer Advice: Five Things You Need to do Immediately After a Car Collision

Every day in Pennsylvania, about 15 car crashes occur every single hour. Every eight hours incurs an average of nine injuries and one fatality. All total, that equals about 221 injuries and three fatalities per day resulting from vehicle collisions. These statistics are sobering when you think about how often we’re on the road; commuting for work, transporting family members, running errands, and everything in between.

Despite their frequency, it’s easy to think that a car collision is something that will happen to someone else. But the reality is that the statistics are not in your favor. At one point or another, it’s likely you will end up in some kind of vehicle collision.

When it comes to vehicle collisions, they are both a medical and legal emergency. Too often, drivers involved in collisions don’t realize they need legal expertise on their side. To ensure you receive fair compensation in the event that you’re involved in a collision, it’s what you do immediately after the fact that counts the most.

1. Remain calm—Keeping a clear head is the most important thing you can do in any emergency or collision. Take a deep breath first and foremost. We know it will be difficult, but you won’t be able to accurately assess the situation or help yourself or anyone else if you aren’t calm. If you let shock, fear, or anger get the best of you, you may end up making mistakes or missteps that could cost you later.
2. Assess injuries and call for assistance—Assess yourself and any passengers for injuries. If emergency assistance is needed, call 911. If not, call for police to come to the scene. Injuries may not always be immediately apparent and can turn into something more serious down the road, so it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you forgo calling 911.
3. Clear the scene (if you’re able)—Only if you are able, move vehicles away from oncoming traffic. This will help to ensure everyone’s safety and prevent the scene from becoming worse or involving more drivers. If you have any flares or warning triangles, set those around the scene, but only if you can do so safely.
4. Call our attorneys and your insurance company—Immediately contact the car collision lawyers at Hal Waldman & Associates and your insurance agent. Explain what happened, but don’t admit fault to anyone, and don’t admit to doing anything that could have contributed to the incident before speaking with your trusted attorney.
5. Document everything—Take photos with your cell phone camera and make notes of anything you think might help your case. It’s very important that you document as much as possible, but don’t sign anything unless you are asked to by the attending police officers.

Car collisions can happen anywhere at any time, and despite your best efforts, they aren’t always preventable. We want you to be safe out there, and we want you to know that we have your back in the unfortunate event that a car collision happens to you. Keep our number handy in your phone contacts or written on a piece of paper in your glovebox so you can contact us immediately following a collision.

If you or a loved one was involved in a collision, call our experienced, dedicated lawyers at Hal Waldman & Associates for a free consultation. Schedule your free consultation online now or call us at (412) 338-1000.