Nashville, Tennessee
They can happen on a road trip across country or a quick jot down to the store: automobile accidents. Regardless of how fast you were driving, how much damage is done to your personal property or the extent of passenger injuries, being involved in an accident can leave even the most levelheaded people rattled. At James R. Omer & Associates, PLL C, we want you to be prepared deal with an auto accident and hope you will keep the below checklist handy in case of this unfortunate event.
Equip Your Automobile
It is important to keep your car equipped with certain items to use in emergency situations:
- Pen and paper to write down pertinent information relating to the accident and parties involved
- Disposable camera to take photos of the accident scene and injured passengers
- Some type of emergency warning mechanism, such as reflective triangles, to alert other drivers of your accident, especially at night
- Cell phone to call the police
Car Accident Checklist
Even though automobile accidents can leave you feeling anxious and upset, try to remain calm and begin taking the steps necessary to assess the situation and alert the authorities.
- Human life is more important than any personal property. The very first thing you should do after an accident is check to see if any passengers have suffered injuries.
- Call the police as quickly as possible.
- Begin gathering information from the other parties involved as well as any witnesses to the accident. Gather names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, vehicle information, etc.
- Take photos of the accident scene, if possible, or draw a quick sketch of the scene.
- Write down everything you can remember about the accident itself, including the time of day, weather and road conditions, events leading up to the crash, actions or inactions of the other driver(s), etc.
- Call your insurance agent as soon as possible to report the accident.
- Do not leave the scene until the police have arrived and have gathered all of the information they need.
- Do not assign fault to yourself or any other driver. This is the insurance company’s responsibility.
- Do not sign any documents or waivers without reading it thoroughly or consulting an attorney.
- Do not accept payment from the insurance company until you have determined the amount is acceptable and fair.
- Review your insurance policy.
Sometimes dealing with insurance companies and getting the compensation you deserve can be challenging and frustrating. An auto accident attorney can take this burden off you and work directly with the insurance agency to ensure that you receive the maximum payment.
If you have been involved in an automobile accident and live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please contact the experienced car accident attorneys at James R. Omer & Associates, PLLC today to fight for your case.
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