When discussing motor vehicle accident-prone cities in the United States, Atlanta, Georgia, quickly springs to mind. A 2024 America’s Best Driver report by Allstate found that Atlanta scored below average for driver safety.
Since car accidents can occur on Atlanta roads without warning, it’s important to understand how to navigate the aftermath. Your actions following an auto collision can significantly affect situations where secondary factors could cause further injuries or loss of lives.
Besides, whatever you do after a motor vehicle accident impacts your odds of receiving just compensation for injuries sustained.
This post examines the legal steps to take if you’ve been involved in an auto accident in Atlanta.
1. Check for Injuries
While this may not seem like a legal imperative, checking for injuries is the very first thing to do after getting involved in a motor vehicle accident in Atlanta.
As soon as your car stops, casually probe yourself (and any passengers) for visible injuries. Note that your Atlanta personal injury lawyer will need to document any injuries sustained to negotiate for fair compensation.
Besides, if you can feel your legs, slowly extricate the vehicle and proceed to a safe distance. This minimizes further injuries due to secondary factors like explosions.
2. Inform Your Personal Injury Lawyer
Right after whisking yourself to safety, inform your Atlanta personal injury attorney that you’ve been involved in a car accident.
Be clear about the location of the crash, the extent of visible injuries, and the number of vehicles involved.
Your lawyer will rush to the scene and embark on the critical process of evidence documentation. They’ll also recommend seeking urgent medical treatment, which is essential despite the extent of your visible injuries.
3. Call 911
In Georgia, reporting car accidents to law enforcement is legally required. This is particularly important for collisions that cause grievous bodily injuries or wrongful deaths.
Call 911 and share critical facts of the accident, such as the location, injuries, and any deaths.
Disclosing helpful information about the crash will enable the operator to dispatch appropriate first responders, such as traffic cops and medical personnel.
4. Notify Your Insurance Company
After informing your lawyer and contacting 911, the next phone call should be to your insurance company.
Be as forthright with your auto insurer as possible. However, take care not to make self-crimination statements.
Do not entertain negotiations with your insurance company at this point either, as you may inadvertently accept a lower offer. Your personal injury attorney is better equipped to handle such discussions on your behalf.
5. Document Evidence
Physical evidence is the cornerstone of personal injury claims. So, before you exit a car accident scene, gather as much information as possible.
Whip out your smartphone and photograph the scene, paying particular attention to the skid marks and tire treads. Skid marks reveal if drivers attempted to brake prior to a collision, while tire treads disclose what role the tires played in the accident.
Other critical pieces of evidence to collect following a car accident in Atlanta include the brake condition, the licenses and phone call logs of all involved drivers, and the black box records of all vehicles.
Remember, you’ll need an experienced personal injury attorney to document and preserve the evidence properly.
6. Take Witness Statements
Unless you got into a car accident in the dead of night, someone likely saw what happened. Approach them and politely request if they’re willing to testify. If yes, record their statements before they leave the scene.
Note that witnesses can be uninvolved bystanders, pedestrians, and even other motorists. Their statements can corroborate other evidence collected at the crash scene, enabling your lawyer to build a solid case for compensation.
If other motorists are willing to testify, request to obtain any footage recorded from their dash cams.
7. Record Key Information About Other Drivers
Having another motorist crash into your car and vanish into thin air while leaving you with grievous injuries can be a truly horrific experience. Therefore, it’s important to record essential information about the other drivers.
First, take a photo of the license plate numbers of all cars involved in the accident. Be sure to note their auto insurance companies as well.
Next, approach the driver and exchange official names, contact information, and physical addresses. If you were hit by a commercial vehicle, you must also note the driver’s employee details.
8. Seek Medical Treatment
Ultimately, you’ll require medical records to validate your injury claims after a car accident. That underscores the significance of seeking immediate medical attention.
Check into a local healthcare facility and get treated for any injuries.
Even if you emerged from the crash unscathed, you’ll still require medical billing reports to negotiate fair compensation.
Wrap Up
Car accidents may be somewhat preventable. However, due to the growing number of motor vehicles on our roads, auto collisions will remain an unpleasant reality. Fortunately, you can take the above legal steps to minimize the impact of car accidents.
As a parting shot, remember to notify your Atlanta personal injury lawyer immediately after getting involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Swift action can help to establish the at-fault driver and apportion liability accordingly. Besides, your lawyer will document vital evidence from the crash scene, prepare necessary legal paperwork, and handle all correspondence with your insurance company.
In the meantime, you can seek proper medical treatment and focus on your full recovery.
