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The aftermath of a vehicle accident can be incredibly chaotic and confusing. However, the hours and days after a vehicle collision are crucial when it comes to seeking medical care, determining liability, and taking the steps towards recovering compensation. Here, we want to discuss five mistakes that are regularly made after car accidents that we want you to avoid in the event you are involved in a collision in Mesa or the surrounding areas of Arizona.
Under no circumstances should you leave the scene of an accident, regardless of how minor you think the incident may be. Leaving the accident scene will be considered a hit-and-run, which is a crime in Arizona. All drivers involved in an accident should remain at the scene until told otherwise by law enforcement officials. If your vehicle is disabled after an accident, you need to assess the safety situation. Sometimes, it is safer to remain inside the vehicle than to try to get out onto the side of the road. In other cases, it may be possible to move a vehicle to the side of the road if the accident occurred on a busy highway or thoroughfare.
It is not uncommon for those involved in an accident to try to convince others at the scene not to call 911. There are various reasons for this. In some cases, a driver involved may not have insurance, or they may even have legal trouble they are trying to avoid. Additionally, even law-abiding citizens sometimes want to avoid calling the police and reporting an accident because they do not want their insurance premiums to increase.
No matter what, the police need to be called in the aftermath of a vehicle accident in Mesa, Arizona. Law enforcement needs to come to the scene to conduct a preliminary investigation and fill out an accident report to be used by insurance carriers.
All too often, those involved in an accident decide not to seek medical care. However, it is important to note that the signs and symptoms of many car accident injuries are not apparent until hours or even days after a collision occurs. It is crucial for any person involved in a vehicle accident to seek immediate medical care. Not only does this ensure the crash victim’s well-being, but it also establishes a direct link between the incident and the injuries, something insurance carriers will want to see before handing over a settlement.
Some people are quick to admit fault in the aftermath of an accident, and sometimes they don’t even realize they are doing it. Simply getting out and saying “I’m so sorry” to others involved can be construed as admitting fault. Under no circumstances should you admit fault after a vehicle accident occurs in Mesa, Arizona. Even if it seems clear that you have caused the accident, there may be other circumstances and facts that you are not aware of that contributed to the incident. Let law enforcement officials and the insurance carriers determine who caused the incident based on the evidence gathered.
If it is safe to do so at the scene of the crash, you can begin gathering evidence. People often skip doing this, thinking that the police will gather everything that they need. However, that is not always the case. If you have a cell phone or another type of camera, you can take photographs of everything you see, including vehicle damage, causes of the crash, traffic and weather conditions, injuries, debris, skid marks, and more. Additionally, you should get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses, as well as the driver’s license number and insurance information of the other drivers involved.