Car accidents are scary events, and many people need days to fully process what happened. However, there are critical steps accident victims must take at the scene and in the coming hours and days. Any misstep could end up costing you money and compromising your legal rights. Call Michael J. Lichner today.
Below, we look at what to do after a car accident and encourage any injured motorist to reach out to an experienced Joliet, IL car accident lawyer to schedule a consultation.
1. Stop at the Scene of the Accident
Illinois law requires anyone involved in a crash to immediately stop. (625 ILCS 5/11-401.) If you block traffic, then you should stop as close to the scene of the crash as possible.
2. Get an Ambulance for Anyone Who Needs One
Some accidents cause immediate, life-threatening injuries. Ask everyone in your car if they need an ambulance. You can also ask the passengers in the other cars involved if they need immediate help.
What happens if you are in so much pain that you need an ambulance? Ask someone to call for you. You won’t be able to perform the rest of the steps at the scene, but you should follow the remainder of our advice.
3. Reach out to the Police to Report the Accident
Drivers must report an Illinois car accident to the state. You can meet that requirement by reporting the accident to the police. Calling has other advantages. For example, the officer can help collect evidence and investigate if the other driver was drunk or high.
4. Swap Insurance and Personal Details with the Other Motorist
Illinois drivers have a duty to render aid to injured victims and share certain information. We recommend sharing the following:
- Name and address
- License number
- License plate number
- Insurance information
- Car registration
Get the same information from the other drivers involved in the wreck.
5. Speak with Any Witnesses to the Accident
Eyewitnesses are helpful with car accident cases. Witnesses can provide an objective view of how the accident unfolded. Some motorists might fail to stop, but usually a few do. And your car crash could have backed up traffic, so motorists might be waiting for a tow truck to come and move the vehicles.
Ask anyone if they saw the accident and what they saw. Then ask for name and phone number. Your attorney can follow up to flesh out their testimony. A witness might also provide a written affidavit in support of your case.
You can also check if any motorist has a dashboard camera. Increasingly, more drivers are installing these cameras, and we might ask them to share their video with us, which can help with accident reconstruction.
6. Photograph the Vehicles and the Scene
As the police officer talks to witnesses, you should get photographs of the scene. Focus on the following:
- Any pothole or other road defect which you think could have contributed to the crash.
- Missing or obscured stop signs.
- The vehicles involved in the crash, in particular, each side of the vehicles. Zoom in close to show dents or where the vehicles impacted each other.
- Each car’s license plate.
7. Head to the Hospital
Immediately after finishing at the accident scene, you should go to the hospital for treatment. Explain where you feel pain. A doctor can order tests to aid in diagnosis.
Remember to follow any treatment plan, and head back to the hospital if you feel your condition worsens. It is common for some symptoms to get much worse in the coming one to three days, and you should avoid diagnosing your own injuries.
Looking Ahead: What to Do When You Get into a Car Accident in Illinois
The coming weeks will be stressful. You will probably get phone calls from the insurance companies, possibly even a quick settlement offer. Some accident victims feel pressure to give a recorded statement or quickly accept a proposed settlement. You should remember the following.
Avoid Giving Recorded Statements to Insurance Adjusters
You could receive a call at home from an insurer, asking if you can answer some questions. Politely decline until you hire a lawyer.
The insurance adjuster wants a recorded statement so they can pin you down as to what happened. They might even try to get you to slip up and admit something you don’t entirely mean, such as that you were distracted in the moments before the crash.
Illinois’s comparative negligence law can result in less compensation, or no compensation at all, if you were partially to blame. Some insurance adjusters fish for information to use against you in a claim. The less you say, the better.
Do Not Post About the Accident on Social Media
Insurance companies scrape social media accounts for helpful information. Again, you could say something you don’t mean about the accident. Or you post pictures showing yourself visiting friends and family, which insurance companies use to argue the accident didn’t cause painful injuries.
Set your profile to private, refuse to add new friends, and stop posting about the accident until your case is finished.
Do Not Accept a Settlement Offer without a Lawyer’s Help
Some insurers quickly offer a settlement, principally because they feel you might be desperate enough to accept it. In our experience, the first offer is usually too low. With the right lawyer, you could negotiate a higher amount of compensation.
Reject any settlement offer and reach out to our office. We can analyze whether it is truly fair or if we could possibly negotiate for a larger settlement. Our consultations are free, and we won’t charge legal fees unless we win your case.
Schedule a Consultation with a Will County, IL Car Accident Lawyer
After an Illinois car accident, injured victims need help navigating insurance claims and filing personal injury lawsuits. Call our office to speak with Attorney Lichner about your accident. Our office has successfully negotiated numerous settlements, and we are happy to meet with anyone in the 60431 zip code to discuss their injuries. Contact us today!