O.K., you just had a car accident. Great! What a way to start the day! You are already late for (work, school, breakfast). Should you call the police? The short answer is a resounding, "Yes!" You need to know why and how to handle it. First of all, check on any injuries that you or your passengers may have. Then call the police. Be patient. The "911" operators are often overworked. The police are also overworked and are often busy on another call. Be sure to tell them where you are located and what vehicle you are in. You will later need to document the accident and the best way to do that is to have a police report. Plus, they can give the other driver a traffic ticket if the accident scene and/or the witnesses make it clear that the other driver was at fault in causing the accident. If you or someone else in the accident is in serious pain, ask the 911 operator for an ambulance. The police, upon their arrival, may also call for an ambulance. Please see our earlier article on going to the hospital.
If you are sufficiently O.K. (shaken up, but not very injured), you might want to check on the people in the other vehicle. Remember what they say and get their information. Try to get the names, telephone numbers, and any other information you can from any witnesses. An independent witness can be very helpful in the long run. People will occasionally come up to check on you. Get their names and telephone number as they may or may not stick around to talk to the police officer. Give the police officer the information on any witness and ask them to stay to at least have a brief discussion with the investigating officer.
Get pictures. Use your cell phone if that is all that you have and get pictures of your car, the other car, and the scene. At the very least, get pictures of the other car and yours to show how the motor vehicle accident happened and the extent of the impact. The property damage is an important component in your personal injury case. You want to get your car fixed, of course, but the property damage to the vehicles in the accident is evidence of the severity of the impact. That will be important in proving your case later on.
When the police officer arrives, have your driver's license, registration, and insurance card already available. Speak politely and clearly to the investigating officer. Screaming at the police officer or the other driver does not win points! Clearly describe how the accident took place. Make sure that the officer has your correct information and the identity of any one in your vehicle. It is far easier to have the police officer take down your passenger's information at the scene rather than having to go to the station to amend and supplement the report. Be sure to ask for the case number. Some road patrol cars are equipped with printers and they can give you either a report or a printed driver exchange of information. At least, get the case number. We can always get the complete police report, but it is helpful if you can get the case number. The next thing you need to do is decide if you are going to a hospital (see our earlier article) and then call an experienced attorney regarding your personal injury case.
