What to do Following a Car or Truck Accident (FAQ)

A: There are a range of negligent activities behind the wheel that can and do often lead to a traffic accident. These include the following:

• Inattentive or distracted driving
• Exceeding the posted speed limit
• Drifting out of the travel lane or dropping a wheel off the shoulder of the roadway
• Failure to pay attention to changing road conditions
• Failure of the driver to signal his or her intention to change lanes or make a turn
• Failure to properly maintain the vehicle’s mechanical systems
• Not correcting potentially deadly vehicle equipment defects
• Operating a car, truck or motorcycle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

A: The amount and type of compensation to which a victim may be entitled typically depends on the nature of the traffic collision, as well as the extent of the victim’s injuries and the amount of medical treatment needed to help the person recover from his or her injuries. If cases where an accident was the result of another motorist’s negligence, victims may be able to recover compensation for the following:

• Emergency room fees and costs for surgical procedures, plus any other medical or hospital expenses
• Lost wages resulting from the victim not being able to work or return to his job
• Rehab and physical therapy costs
• Damages associated with temporary or permanent disability
• Damages for disfigurement resulting from the accident
• Pain and suffering
• Wrongful death-related costs, such as loss of companionship and/or loss of financial support
• Other accident-related out-of-pocket expenses borne by the victim

A: If you have any doubt or concern about your health, absolutely seek medical attention. Whenever a person is caught up in a serious beltway, expressway or high-speed collision, one should check to see if there are any obvious signs of injury. But this is no guarantee that you are physically well. It is always wise to consult a medical professional to be sure your health has not been adversely affected.

If you have obvious injuries that appear to be serious or even if you are unsure as to the extent of those injuries, you should immediately dial 911 and get to a hospital as soon as possible. Even in cases where individuals have felt “fine,” symptoms arising from head, neck and spinal injuries can develop hours later after a collision, any one of which could become life-threatening if not treated properly by a doctor. Because of this, watch for any signs of injury in the hours and days following a roadway collision.

As is often the case, aches and pains resulting from a car, truck or motorcycle crash do not necessarily crop up until 12 to 14 hours after the collision. If you feel any pain, have difficulty remembering, or feel any other type of unusual discomfort, contact a physician immediately.

A: Absolutely. It is always important to call the police immediately following an accident, even if the crash did not seem that serious. Besides potential penalties for not reporting an injury-related car crash, a police report generated following a traffic accident will be important for any insurance claim filed later on. Remember, if your car or truck sustains serious damage that only becomes apparent days later, or if you have sustained bodily injuries that are not readily apparent until the next day or two, it is vital to have an official accident report on file to prove that the crash did, in fact, occur and to show which party was at fault in the eyes of the law.

A: As the victim of a negligence-related automobile accident, one should take down all information pertaining to the crash. This will allow you to more accurately recall the details of the accident when speaking with your attorney as well as during a possible trial. If at all possible, secure and/or document the following information immediately following a traffic collision:

• Location, time and date on which the accident occurred
• Names and contact info of all parties involved, as well as any eyewitnesses to the collision
• Vehicle descriptions (make, model and year of each vehicle involved)
• Injuries, serious as well as minor, that were sustained by you in the crash
• Insurance information of each motorist involved in the crash

A: Yes, if only for your own records. If you have a camera or smartphone available at the scene of the accident, take as many photographs as you feel is necessary to document the event. Do this even if you see the police also taking pictures of the crash site. If you don’t have access to a camera at the time of the incident, take photos of your vehicle as soon as possible after you leave the scene of the crash. This will allow you to document the property damage that has been sustained.