Being involved in an Oklahoma City car accident can be a frightening and disorienting experience. The actions you take or don’t take after an accident may significantly impact your health and your ability to recover compensation for your injuries.
While you are still reeling from the accident, the at-fault party’s insurance company is already working to defend against your claim. Their job is to deny or settle your claim for as little as possible.
You need to be aware that insurance companies often use sneaky tactics to get you to settle your claim for much less than it is worth and will use anything they can against you.
Read on to learn what actions to take and what to refrain from to protect your health and put yourself in the best position to recover maximum compensation for your accident claim.
What You Should Do After an Oklahoma City Accident
Some of the best actions you can take after an Oklahoma City accident include:
- Stop your vehicle and check to see if you have injuries and whether anyone else involved in the accident has been injured. In some cases, you should move your vehicle to the side of the road if there are no major injuries or damage.
- Call 911 for emergency medical assistance and report the accident.
- Exchange information with the other parties involved in the accident. Provide your driver’s license, contact information, registration, and proof of insurance.
- Get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident
- Take photographs and video footage of the accident scene and any visible injuries. If you cannot, try to have someone take them for you. Include the position of the vehicles, the condition of the road, skid marks, debris, road signs, and anything else that seems relevant.
- Provide any information the police request from you. The responding officer will complete a crash report that you will later need to obtain from the police department.
- Seek medical attention immediately. Even if you don’t think your injuries are severe, you should get a medical evaluation. Many injuries that result in lifelong mobility issues and chronic pain may not have immediate symptoms but rather delayed pain. The medical record from this evaluation can be used to document your injuries.
- Report the accident to your insurance company.
- Attend all medical appointments and follow your treatment plan.
- Write down everything you can recall about the accidents and the moments just before the accident while they are still fresh in your mind.
- Keep a journal after your accident to document your pain, recovery, and how the accident is impacting your life.
- Keep all receipts and invoices for medical and other expenses incurred because of your accident and injuries.
- Contact an experienced Oklahoma City car accident injury attorney promptly. Vital evidence can be destroyed, lost, or diminished over time. Your attorney will need to act quickly to secure and collect the evidence to help support your claim.
Be sure to ask your Oklahoma City car accident attorney if there are other steps you should take to help protect your right to recover compensation for your damages and follow their advice.
What You Should Not Do After an Oklahoma City Accident
There are also actions you should avoid taking after an Oklahoma City accident, including:
- Do not leave the scene of the accident.
- Do not admit fault or apologize for the accident. It can be used against you to deny or devalue your claim.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company. Insurance representatives are very good at twisting and using words against you.
- Do not accept a settlement offer without consulting an Oklahoma City personal injury attorney first. The first settlement offer is rarely the full amount the insurance company is willing to pay. Additionally, until an attorney has evaluated your case, including all current and future damages, you won’t know what a fair settlement for your accident case would be. Let your attorney handle all settlement negotiations to recover maximum compensation.
- Do not lie to your attorney about anything. They can not help you if they are left in the dark about the facts of your accident. When your attorney has all the facts, they can prepare for any downside and build your strongest case.
- Do not post about your accident on social media. Be very careful of anything that you post on social media. Seemingly innocent photographs or comments can be twisted and used by the insurance company to show that your injuries are not as bad as you claim. Ask your family and friends not to post pictures or comments about you while your claim is pending.
Contact Warhawk Legal After an Oklahoma City Accident
If you have been injured in an Oklahoma City accident caused by another party, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your damages.
The Oklahoma City truck accident lawyer at Warhawk Legal has decades of experience protecting the rights of injury victims and helping them recover maximum compensation. We want to do the same for you.
Call (405) 397-1717 or complete the short form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.