First Steps After a Car Accident

Answer:

Bang! You’re in this collision and you’re wondering what you should do. The first thing to do is make sure that you’re okay and make sure the other people in the collision are okay. If somebody needs healthcare, you need to help them get that healthcare. You need to make sure nobody’s going to get hurt any further. Once these immediate issues are out of the way, you want to talk to the police. One of the mistakes we see people make is failing to report a collision. Frankly, there are statutes that make it illegal to fail to report a collision. If somebody has hit you and is trying to get away from the scene or leave without making sure that law enforcement has been informed, you need to understand that you need to deal with that.

Next thing you want to do is get the healthcare you need— emergency room healthcare. Make sure there’s nothing urgent going on. Plan for your follow-up care, as well. Recognize that the emergency room is not your family doctor who’s looking at your wellness completely; they’re looking at if there’s a reason we need to do immediate intervention. Is there a reason to admit you to the hospital to stop some bleeding or to set a bone? You want to follow up with your healthcare provider shortly after to make sure you get a more comprehensive evaluation of any injuries you’ve incurred.

You then want to call a lawyer. It’s always better to get a lawyer involved earlier in the process rather than later in the process so you can get some advice, guidance and direction on the right things to do in dealing with the injury claim itself. How do you deal with that insurance company that’s on the other side of your Boise, Idaho car accident? If you haven’t dealt with them before, you might not realize the things that they will try to do to minimize your claim and to reduce the amount that they ultimately have to pay you.

Obviously, another thing you should do is make sure your loved ones know what’s going on. You should probably call them before you call your lawyer but put the lawyer on that list because it’s better to deal with it sooner than it is to deal with a lawyer later. If you’re wondering what you should do right now, give us a call. We’ll be happy to talk to you, and provide you some guidance and direction, and help you decide the right course of action for you in your Boise, Idaho car accident claim.