The safety of those involved in an accident is, of course, a main priority. The first step in ensuring safety is to call 911. While emergency medical personnel are en route take a few minutes to assess any personal injuries sustained by yourself and others. Try to remember all injuries immediately following the accident and make a written note or a mental note of such injuries so you can later use that information to inform medical personnel, your attorney or law firm, and the insurance company of the other party.
In Los Angeles most circumstances you encounter are fast-paced. Traumatizing events can further accelerate time. A car accident is no exception, adrenaline will certainly speed up and last throughout critical moments like when giving an accident report or exchanging information. It is therefore prudent to gather as much information as you possibly can before the police authorities arrive. Take down the license plate of the other vehicle. Try to gather the driver’s license information of the other party. If they don’t cooperate, then wait for the proper Los Angeles law enforcement agency or the California Highway Patrol.
It will speed up the process with the police authorities and also make for a more complete and helpful report when you can note the facts of the accident as soon as possible following the accident. This information includes the approximate time of the accident, the cross-streets or approximate location of the accident, and the number of persons involved in the accident.
Traffic in Los Angeles is a certainty. Accidents in Los Angeles are prevalent. These factors may create some pressure on you by other drivers, or even the other party, to move the vehicles off the road and just exchange insurance and identification information rather than waiting for the proper Los Angeles law enforcement agency or the California Highway Patrol. It is always in your interest to resist this urge and remember that waiting for the authorities and medical personnel will be helpful in making sure that additional future insurance and legal problems do not arise. Also, it is smart to always call medical personnel so they can at the very least do a quick examination and record any injuries, even if injuries seem minor.
It is very important to give accurate and complete information to the paramedics and EMT’s. Recalling and reporting correct and accurate injury information can reduce future problems for you and ensure that your attorney can get you properly compensated for your personal injuries, property damage, and any pain and suffering damages. Taking thirty seconds to remember and organize the facts of the accident and all injuries to you and any passengers can be the difference between a very high insurance settlement and an average insurance settlement.
When talking to a police officer you will want to try to get them to side with your version of how the accident happened. Although they may side with you, they are only taking quick notes for a report that will be filed later, sometimes hours later. To make sure that the police officer includes information that is helpful to your case in the accident report, it is wise to take thirty seconds to recall and organize the facts of how the accident occurred before speaking. Information that can be helpful includes the time of the accident, the direction you were headed, the approximate speed at the time of impact, the main cause, and if the other party admitted fault. This approach will increase your ability to present organized information which will be easier to report than scrambled information.
