EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER SERVING ALL OF TEXAS
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), there were 15,687 alcohol-related crash injuries, 25,479 alcohol-related crashes, 71,030 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) convictions and sadly, 1,337 drunk driving fatalities nationwide in 2013. All these stats mean that you have a good chance of being involved in a drunk driving-related car accident at some point. What you do immediately following your crash is imperative with regard to getting the compensation you deserve. The following explains what these steps are:
Call For Help:
The first thing you need to do after an accident is call the police/emergency services. This will ensure any medical help you might need is on its way. So, before you do anything else, make sure you and anyone else involved in the accident is okay medically. You also need to have police documentation to prove your case in the event the other person claims to not have been impaired.
Get Contact Information:
It is important to get the contact information of the other driver involved in the accident. However, it’s also a good idea to get contact information from anyone who might be a witness. This will allow you to get in touch with these people later if it becomes a need. Also, make sure to write down the identifying information of the police officer who works your wreck.
Verify Insurance Information:
Write down all the insurance information of the other driver in the accident. Be sure to include the insurance number and name of their agent. Any and all insurance information you can obtain is good to have.
Take Photos:
Once you have completed the above steps, get your phone out and start taking pictures of everything. This includes the cars themselves, the license plates, the skid marks on the road, and the position of the cars. Anything and everything else that might be applicable. The idea is to document as much as possible. The more evidence you have to prove your case, the better. Be careful, though. Never get into the road dangerously or risk injury to get more photos. Be smart about it. It’s even a good idea to write down what happened to cause the accident in your own words as soon as possible. You might think you will remember forever, but some details might slip your mind and it could be something that proves your case.
Call Your Insurance Company:
You have no legal obligation to talk to the other driver’s insurance company. In fact, it’s a good idea to avoid this. However, you can talk to your insurance company. Call them up and let them know what has happened. Remember; don’t sign any legally binding paperwork without first talking to a lawyer. You need to protect your rights and sometimes insurance companies of a guilty party will attempt to minimize their financial hit by having you take some of the blame for the accident.
Call an Attorney:
After going through all the steps listed above, call an attorney as soon as possible. You want to get the legal ball rolling so to speak. It’s also good to share what happened during the accident while it’s fresh on your mind. So, call a personal injury attorney at Dashner Law Firm and set up a time to meet. They will let you know if you are entitled to compensation.
