North Carolina car accidents can devastate your life or be a mild inconvenience, and the severity of the accident itself is just one factor of how badly it affects your life. What you do after the car crash matters.
Establishing your case
If you gather enough evidence during and after the initial impact, your subsequent insurance claim and personal injury lawsuit will go much smoother. And, being prepared to speak with 9-1-1 can also ensure that you receive medical care and get a police report. This will mean getting compensation for your damaged vehicle and medical expenses will be much easier, in addition to the immediate medical attention you need after a car accident.
Gathering evidence
The primary way to gather evidence is with a dashboard camera. Make sure you have one installed in your vehicle now and that it works. Preferably, it should have a 360-degree view. If not, it should at least have a view of the front, rear and inside of the vehicle. This shows most accidents and the impact on those inside the car.
Take pictures after the accident as well, including from the car and outside the car. Get witness contact information, and do not forget to get the police officer’s information as well, including how to get the police report.
Speaking with 9-1-1
In today’s climate, the most important thing to remember when speaking with 9-1-1 is that many cities do not want to dispatch police, fire or ambulance to “minor” car accidents. Though, they make this determination over the phone based on your phone call. This is why it is so important to keep your call limited to your location, ask for first responders, do not say there are no injuries, and disconnect the call as fast as possible. You do not want to give them an excuse not to dispatch.
After the car accident
Once you contact your insurance and your personal injury attorney, they will both ask for your documentation and police report. Having this information ready immediately can speed up the process.