What You Should Do after a Car Accident (Part 1)

Given how often car accidents occur, drivers should be familiar with what to do after a car accident to protect their rights if they choose to file a car accident lawsuit in the future.

Every 10 seconds, a car accident takes place on U.S. roadways, and on average, people who drive regularly are involved in a car accident about once every five years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Given how often car accidents occur, as well as the fact that they can cause serious property damage and injuries, it’s important that drivers are familiar with that they should do after a car accident in order to:

  • Minimize their potential liability
  • Reduce the chances that their insurance company will undercut or deny their claim
  • Protect their rights if they choose to file a car accident lawsuit in the future.

Immediately following a car accident, involved drivers should:

  • Assess whether they, their passengers or others (such as pedestrians or bicyclists) have any injuries, and call 911 if so or if there is any possibility that anyone involved in the accident has been injured.
  • Move the vehicles to the shoulder of the road or to a safe place if the accident is minor. Otherwise, wait for emergency responders.
  • Section off the accident area with cones or flares (if available), and turn on the vehicles’ flashing hazard lights to warn other drivers.
  • Call police – you will want an official police report of the incident both for insurance claims and for car accident lawsuits. Police reports can be extremely helpful in establishing which party was negligent/caused the accident, as well as in providing accident witness names and contact information (which can be crucial for car accident lawsuits).
  • Call your insurance company and report the incident.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers

If you have been involved in a car accident and you believe another driver was to blame, contact the St. Louis car accident lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, and we are experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting. Our goal is to preserve and promote the rights and welfare of individuals and families who have suffered injuries and losses and/or who need help navigating through the complexities of the court system.

Since 1993, our lawyers have been successfully representing our clients in various areas of personal injury litigation, including car accident lawsuits. Our unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice in every case we handle means that we will work relentlessly to help our clients achieve the best possible outcomes to their cases. For a free initial consult, email us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen and/or to call us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office.

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