You’ve just been hit by a careless driver. The situation is still murky and you’re struggling to make sense of what’s going on. Let’s go over a step-by-step checklist of what should do if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

After the crash – what do you in the moments immediately following the collision?

1. Assess your injuries – Immediately after the collision, once you’ve fully come to your senses, you need to check yourself for injuries. Shock may cause you not to notice a major injury when it first occurs. If you are severely injured you may not be able to move from your location; if this is the case turn you emergency lights on and wait for help. Once you’ve determined that your injuries won’t prevent you from moving, you should observe your surroundings and carefully exit the car.
2. Before you do anything else, call 911 and calmly report the incident. Check other involved parties for injuries. You’ll need your location to the best of your abilities, the number of vehicles involved, and any other relevant information. Without putting your own safety at risk, survey the condition of other drivers and passengers involved in the collision. Make sure you don’t move a person that has a potentially severe injury, as movement may cause it to worsen.
3. Exchange information – Now that you’ve taken stock of the situation and called the police and paramedics, you’ll want to exchange insurance information with other involved parties if at all possible.
4. Gather evidence – This is one of the reasons it’s important to try and keep a calm demeanor and a cool head. You need to remember to gather evidence if at all possible. This means taking photographs of the scene and vehicles involved, and getting witness information and statements if at all possible.

The hours and days following the collision – what’s the next step?

1. File an accident report – If the police were at the scene, this may already be taken care of. However, you should follow up and make sure that a report has been filed. And if the collision wasn’t bad enough to warrant calling the police, you’ll have to do it yourself. It’s an important part of the equation – especially for your insurance company. If you’re unsure of how to file the report, follow this link for guidance.
2. Report the accident to your insurance company – Even if it has been determined that you are NOT at fault in the collision; you’re going to have to talk to your insurance company. Be prepared to give them all of the relevant details and to go in-depth about what happened. Typically your insurance company will work with the insurance companies of other involved parties, which is why you need to be sure to collect insurance information at the scene.

Finding Resolution

Sometimes, even when we do everything right, something goes wrong. You may find many people you meet are unsympathetic to your situation. Do not let your or another driver’s insurance company take advantage of you when you’ve been injured. It is unwise, even risky, to blindly accept the first settlement offer from an insurance company. Until the final invoice comes in, you will not know the full extent of your medical bills or additional costs, making any early settlement unreliable. The best thing to do is wait before accepting any settlements, and consult with an attorney first.

At the D’Angelo Law Office we specialize in being the voice of the victims of traffic collisions. We know that Coloradans enjoy active lifestyles outdoors, and chronic pain from a collision can get in the way. Our goal is resolve your claims as efficiently and as effectively as possible. Once we begin to work on your claim, the stress and anxiety you feel from dealing with insurance companies will evaporate like a rain puddle on sunny Colorado day.