What Information Will I Need to Give to My Car Accident Attorney?
No one wakes up in the morning and decides to have a car accident that day. By its very nature, a motor vehicle collision is an unintended, unforeseen and unanticipated happening. One simply cannot prepare for accidents. However, you can seek the guidance of a knowledgeable professional for assistance in navigating the minefield of post accident necessities and obligations. Coping, dealing with and handling the immediate and long-term aftermath and ramifications of a motor vehicle crash, especially one involving serious personal injury, can be distracting, time-consuming and stressful. In the immediate aftermath of a motor vehicle collision, those involved are understandably concerned with their own bodily safety and that of their passengers, as well as with concerns about:
- property damage to the vehicle
- repairs
- car rentals
- transportation hurdles caused by not having a vehicle.
It is an anxiety-provoking time with a lot happening in a very short sequence. Hiring a personal injury attorney to pursue a claim likely comes as a secondary consideration after the dust has settled to an extent, likely after medical professionals have had the opportunity to evaluate your physical condition and the presence of any injury. Nevertheless, there are certain vital pieces of information that your chosen car accident lawyer will need in order to quickly and successfully prosecute your claim. If your physical condition permits, you must:
- Obtain identifying information for the other drivers. Minimally, you must get information from the driver that you believe caused the accident. That would include their name, address, tag number and insurance information.
- Have an understanding of where the accident occurred. The city, state and roadway upon which the accident occurred, and time of the accident are vital components in any claim which must be collected.
I Attorney Eric T. Kirk handled countless cases in my career where the unfortunate individuals involved in an automobile accident, due to their physical injuries, are simply unable to obtain this vital Information, and indeed may be whisked from the scene in an ambulance or airlifted to shock trauma or another emergency center. In the absence of these extreme circumstances, the key information regarding the occurrence of the accident and the participants should be recorded and presented to one’s car accident or personal injury attorney. Most people have cell phones. Most cell phones have a camera function. The best way to document the vehicles involved, the scene, and frankly the identifying papers of the participants is to quickly snap off some photos, and send them you your chose lawyer. It may be that the thorough, diligent and persistent car accident lawyer can subsequently uncover this information on his or her own. However, most of my clients want their cases resolved sooner rather than later.
The efficient and effective way to avoid delay in claim processing is to have this information available initially, so that the process of recovery, recuperation and ultimately remuneration may commence forthwith.
