What happens at the scene of a car accident?

If you’ve never been in a car accident, you may not know what to expect at the scene. However, knowing what to do (and not to do) at the scene of a car accident can affect your personal injury claim if you file one at a later date. 

Here’s what happens at the scene of a car accident, so you can be best prepared: 

The Police Will File a Police Report

Once you, the other driver involved in the accident, or a bystander call law enforcement, they will arrive on the scene. When they do, they will speak to everyone involved in the crash, as well as any witnesses nearby to get a clear picture of what happened. Included in this police report, will be the names and insurance information of everyone involved, as well as the date and time of the accident and the county in which it occurred. 

Once the information is taken down, police will give you a sheet of paper that lets you know when this information will be available online and how you can download it. This will be crucial evidence for a personal injury claim, as it can help determine liability for the accident. Keep in mind that it usually takes a week or two for this report to be available online. If you wish to get a hard copy of the report, you’ll have to visit the township in which the accident occurred. 

Paramedics Will Arrive

Along with the police, paramedics will also arrive at the accident scene to take care of anyone who has been severely injured. If you aren’t obviously injured, the paramedics will ask you if you want to get checked out. 

While it may be the last thing you want to do in the moment, if you feel pain or that you have sustained an injury you should say yes because it’s not always easy to determine the full extent of your injuries minutes after the accident. If you do refuse to get checked out on the scene, you should still monitor how you feel and go to the hospital or your doctor if you begin to feel pain and let them know you were in an accident so they can conduct the proper tests. Internal bleeding and concussions, for example, are hard to diagnose simply by looking at you, so they may require diagnostic testing. 

The Other Driver May Try to Talk to You

In many cases, the other driver who hit you may get out of their vehicle to talk to you. If they don’t have insurance or are underinsured, or were acting recklessly, they may try to ask you not to report the accident or pursue compensation. And, at the moment, you may be so rattled up that you may end up saying or agreeing to something you really don’t mean. 

Just like in a court of law, anything you say will eventually get back to the insurance company, so if the other driver gets out to talk to you, stick to the facts. Don’t apologize or accept their apology, or agree to anything without talking to your personal injury lawyer first. Otherwise, you may be jeopardizing your own claim for compensation.

These are by far not the only things that occur at the scene of a car accident, but they are some of the most common situations you’ll come across. If you’re injured in a car accident, don’t leave things up to chance. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that your legal rights are protected. 

Contact A Clark Personal Injury Lawyer To Discuss Your Car Accident Case In New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in New Jersey? Don’t wait for the negligent party or the insurance companies to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive New Jersey personal injury lawyer on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Team Law represent clients injured in car accidents in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and throughout New Jersey. Call 1-800-TEAM-LAW or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 136 Central Ave., Clark, NJ 07066, and offices in West New York, Perth Amboy, Edison, Summit, Newark, New Brunswick, Orange, Plainfield, and Jersey City.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.