Information You Should Get If You Are Involved In A Car Accident
Becoming the victim of a car accident can be a scary and confusing time for most people. This leads many people to seek the help of a car accident attorney to guide them through the process and ensure they get the settlement they deserve for their injuries.
While a good car accident attorney should be able to win your case with little assistance from you, there are several pieces of information you can get at the scene of the accident that will help your attorney out in establishing your case.
1. Driver’s Personal Information
Take down the other driver’s personal information such as their full name, phone number, home address and driver’s license number. This ensures that if the driver decides not to cooperate and stops responding about the accident, your lawyer has all of their information on file to confirm the identity of the defendant.
2. Driver’s Insurance Information
It is also vital that you take down the other driver’s car insurance information. This includes the carrier name and the policy number. If you can take a photo of this information, that’s even better. Without this information, your attorney may have to run a policy search to see if there is coverage, which can be expensive and take some time.
3. Driver’s Vehicle
Make sure to record information about the other driver’s car, such as the make, model, and license plate number. It may be wise to also take photos of their vehicle, even if they do not have any visible property damage, just to have picture evidence of this information.
4. Witness Information
If any witnesses stop to provide you with their information, try to get at least their full name and a good contact phone number and/or email address for them. If the other driver tries to dispute your version of the accident, having a witness that can testify to your innocence is extremely helpful for your attorney when it comes to establishing liability.
5. Photographs of Injuries and Property Damage
Photograph everything you can at the scene of the incident: your injuries, the other driver’s injuries if they allow you, the property damage to your vehicle from multiple angles, the property damage to the other driver’s vehicle, and the overall scene of the accident. Photos can make your case stronger.
6. Copy of Police Report
If police or highway patrol arrived at the scene of the accident and recorded a TCR (traffic collision report), be sure to ask for a copy of the report number for your records. Completing the TCR takes a few weeks on their end, but once the copy is available, your attorney will be able to get a copy quickly, as long as they already have the report number.
If you were injured in a car accident, contact our experienced attorneys at The Ryan Law Group today. We are available 24/7, and offer free consultations regarding your accident. We can be reached at 310-299-9550.