After a car accident you feel shaken, nervous and possibly hurt. If you’re able to, you should try and get as much information about the accident as you can to help in the coming days of insurance claims and possible arguments with the other driver. There are several important steps you should take when you’ve been in a car accident.
Once you’ve called 911 and the police and paramedics are on their way you should start gathering information from the other driver. If at all possible, you should take pictures of the accident with your cell phone, digital camera or any camera. Taking pictures at the scene of the accident can provide critical evidence that protects you legally and financially.
The first thing you should photograph is the license plate of the other vehicle, as well as the driver themselves in case the driver attempts to zoom away from the crash site. You should photograph the accident itself, the other vehicle, and any interior or exterior damage to your vehicle as well as the other person’s vehicle exterior and, with their consent, interior. You should also attempt to gather the names and contact information for anyone in the vehicle, as well as insurance information from the driver. This
In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, you should try and flag down eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses might be able to verify how the accident happened and even offer their own phone or cameras in case you don’t have one with you. Any picture is better than no picture. And any information you can gather will help you and your lawyer to verify and prove who was at fault.
Then take a variety of pictures of the accident from several different angles and distances. These will offer distinct vantage points of the accident, illuminating the bigger picture as to how the accident happened. If the other party indicates that there is any damage to their vehicle’s interior, take a picture to prove it. Take a picture of the driver and passengers in the other vehicle as well as your own vehicle. But, know that you can seek the help of a driver defence service if it turns out that you are responsible for the accident.
Make sure these snapshots are taken with the accident site in the picture so that you can prove that the people in the photos were involved with the actual accident. If anyone has suffered an injury as a result of the crash, take zoomed in pictures of the injuries to identify the exact damage in detail – again with consent.
Also, take pictures of the bodily damage from afar so that the injuries can be firmly linked to the actual people at the scene. Remember, injuries resulting from car accidents can get much worse in the days following the accident so visual evidence of the injuries at the crash site will go a long way in guaranteeing that you and your passengers receive proper medical and financial assistance.
If anything contributed to the accident like a faulty traffic light, construction or a knocked over stop sign, take a picture of that, as well. Take a snapshot of any damage to the road, skid marks and damage caused to public and private property. You want to accumulate as much evidence as possible so that your insurance company does not deny your claim and provides the maximum possible assistance.
Capturing the scene means there’s much less argument over the details and over facts. It’s important, so if you’re able to do it, snap away.