What To Do If You Are In An Auto Accident During Labor Day Weekend

Debra Reynolds

What To Do If You Are In An Auto Accident During Labor Day Weekend

Imagine this: You’re driving with your family on the way to the grocery store, when suddenly you are rear-ended by a teenager who is a freshly-permitted driver. Even though you have far more experience driving, this is the first accident for either of you.

Or, let’s say you’re driving down the highway and want to change lanes. You glance over and seeing that no one is there, you turn on your turn signal to switch lanes. Suddenly, there’s a car in that lane and your cars collide. That happens a lot in Texas, and in fact, it was one of the leading situations for non-injury accidents last year.

No one wants to get into a car accident. But if you do find yourself in a similar scenario as described above, you want to be as prepared as possible, especially during Labor Day weekend. We have provided some information about what to do or not do in the event you or someone you love is involved in a car accident.

First Things First

Make sure everyone involved is okay before you begin gathering information or material objects after an accident. If someone is in need of emergency care, call 911 immediately.

Don’t Admit Guilt

When something bad happens, it is human nature to apologize. However, if you’re involved in an accident, try to remain polite with the other party without offering any type of an apology. In this situation, an apology can be seen as an admission of guilt – and liability. Even if the accident was your fault, but especially if you were not at fault, remember, be polite without apologizing.

Gather Information

Once you have determined that everyone is safe and sound, move on to the gathering of information. If the accident happened near a public place or around a crowd, ask the witnesses for their view of the accident. Obtain their contact information if you think you will need it later. You will also need to exchange insurance information with all the drivers who were involved in the accident. Once all information is exchanged, you will need to make a phone call to your automobile insurance company y to file your claim.

Another important tip – taking photos of the accident. It is a good idea to get pictures of all vehicles involved in the accident, the intersection or location, street and/or traffic signs. If you have a smartphone, this is easy to accomplish. If you do not have a phone with a camera, placing a disposable camera in your glove compartment could be useful in the event of a car accident.

Take note of everything surrounding the accident, such as:

  • The location of the actual accident
  • The direction the vehicles were going before colliding
  • The time of day of the accident
  • The weather at the time of the accident
  • Damage to the cars before the accident i.e. broken tail lights, broken turn signal, broken mirror, etc.
  • Was it a company-owned vehicle, or was the driver driving on behalf of a company?
  • Name(s) and contact information for any witnesses
  • Record the Accident Report Number from the law enforcement official working the accident (if the police were summoned to the scene). This will be necessary to request the final accident report from the law enforcement agency.

While there is no way to know if you will ever be involved in an automobile accident, being prepared to best handle the situation if it does happen will serve you well.

Thanks for reading and safe travels to everyone this Labor Day Weekend!

 

Please note: This is an informative blog only and does not constitute legal advice.  If you have questions regarding your particular case, please contact our offices and we will be happy to discuss your particular circumstances and any potential claims.