Dos and Don'ts After a Honolulu Car Accident
If you have been involved in a Honolulu car accident, you may be wondering what to do next. There are many things you can and should do in the days and weeks immediately after a car accident to protect your potential personal injury claim. The most important thing is that you begin to take action. The faster you act, the greater your chances of a quick and fair resolution in your car accident case.
Things to Do Immediately After a Car Accident
The following is a list of things to do immediately after your car accident that can help greatly in your personal injury claim. With every item you achieve, your case is likely to go that much more smoothly:
- Before all else, seek necessary medical attention
- Call the police
- Actively cooperate with any involved emergency or law enforcement personnel
- Take extensive notes concerning the car accident(including what happened, how it happened, license plate numbers of involved vehicles, and other drivers’ information)
- Take extensive notes concerning your injuries< (including physical injuries, mental anguish, pain levels, physical limitations, related medical expenses and how the injuries are impacting your daily life)
- Take note of the names, phone numbers and addresses of witnesses to the accident
- Contact your insurance company
- Take pictures of relevant evidence such as your injuries and damages to your car
- Contact an accident attorney.
Contacting an experienced car accident attorney is possibly the most advantageous thing you can do in your Honolulu car accident case. An attorney will help facilitate most every post-accident action required of you and can help you to keep from harming your claim.
What NOT to Do Immediately After an Accident
Too many accident victims make the well-intentioned mistake of taking immediate, but misguided, action. By doing so, a victim may unknowingly hurt their potential personal injury claim or even themselves.
Listed below are things you should NOT do after your car accident:
- Move your vehicle from the accident site unless required for safety or by law
- Subject yourself to further injury by waiting in a hazardous area after an accident
- Leave the scene of the accident until the police advise you to do so
- Toss out any potential evidence, such as your torn or blood-stained clothing
- Discuss fault or place blame (those discussions are for the court)
- Apologize for anything relating to the car accident (this could be construed as an admission of guilt)
- Agree to any kind of settlement prior to contacting a car accident attorney.
Contacting a Car Accident Attorney
After a serious car accident in Hawaii, you should be able to spend your time focusing on your recovery; not dealing with insurance adjustors, never-ending paperwork and complicated legalese. The Hawaii personal injury attorneys at Davis Levin Livingston will fight for your rights while you focus on healing. Serving accident victims on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, Kauai and beyond. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – (808) 740-0633.