Auto Accident Checklist for Negligence Claim

THE VAN DORN & CURTISS AUTO ACCIDENT CHECKLIST

IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU ACT IMMEDIATELY TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS

1. STAY AT THE SCENE. Stay at the scene of the accident until the police arrive. If no one has called the police, call them yourself if you are able. If you are not able to call yourself, ask someone else to call the police for you.

2. DO NOT MAKE STATEMENTS. Do not make any statements to anyone beside the police. When speaking to the police stay with the facts of what happened and make sure to tell them about each injury you have sustained.

3. IDENTIFY WITNESSES. If you are able, try to identify witnesses and get their names, addresses and telephone numbers. If you are too injured to do this ask the police or someone else to do it.

4. POLICE REPORT. Make sure the police file an official report of the accident.

5. AMBULANCE. If you believe you are seriously injured wait for an ambulance and have the ambulance take you to the nearest hospital emergency room for treatment.

6. INJURIES. Make sure you tell ambulance and hospital personnel about all your injuries. (If the injury is not recorded in the medical record the defendant insurance company may later claim that you did not receive the injury in the accident.)

7. NOTIFY YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. It is important to notify your own insurance company about the accident, even if it is not your fault. You may be entitled to payments for medical bills and property damage from your own company regardless of who caused the accident. When you notify them they will send you a form to fill out. You should review the form with your attorney before sending it back.

WHEN THINGS SETTLE DOWN YOU SHOULD TAKE THE ADDITIONAL ACTIONS

MAKE NOTES. Make notes about how the accident happened. The time of day, location, road conditions, actions of the involved vehicles, identity of those involved, name of investigating police department and officers, description of injuries, description of property damage.

We recommend that you keep a notebook and include all events relevant to the accident and your injuries as time goes by including how you feel on particular days, visits to medical providers, lost time from work, description of disabilities and limitations of activities, return to work , particular

aches and pains and the like.

GET FOLLOW UP MEDICAL CARE. After you are released from the hospital it is important to seek follow up medical care with the doctors the hospital refers you to or your own family doctor. Do not neglect to get medical care because you think you can’t afford it. In most personal injury auto accident cases that are someone else’s fault the responsible party will have insurance that will ultimately pay all medical bills. In addition your own auto policy will pay bills up to a designated amount and your health insurance may also be available to pay bills. Consequently it is not necessary to neglect medical treatment because you think you can’t afford it.

CONTACT VAN DORN & CURTISS. Contact us as soon as you are able to after the accident. We will guide you through all of the issues that a serious accident entails including how to deal with your employment, medical bills, doctor and hospital visits, prescription payments, insurance issues and the like. It is important to know that if you are seriously injured in an accident that is the fault of another you should be able to get all the medical treatment you need without having to pay anything out of pocket.

CHECKLIST FOR ACCIDENT INFORMATION

This Accident Checklist is a handy reference when compiling information about your accident and personal injuries

• Time and date of accident
• Location of accident:
• Road Conditions
• Traffic Conditions
• Weather Conditions
• Speed of your vehicle at time of impact just before accident
• Speed of other car just before accident
• If your vehicle skid, how many feet did it skid.
• Did your vehicle leave skid marks? How many feet?
• Did the other car skid? If so, how many feet?
• Did the other car leave skid marks? If so, how many feet?
• Location of vehicles at point of impact relative to yellow lines, sides of roads, intersections, etc.
• What part of your car contacted what part of the other driver’s car first?
• Your understanding of what caused the accident
• Any other conditions that may have caused the accident
• Other Driver's Name, Address, Home Phone, Work Phone
• Other Driver's License #, State, License Plate #
• Other Driver’s car: Year of Car, Make of Car, Color of Car, Model of Car
• Owner of other vehicle
• Insurance company for other vehicle and policy no.
• Does other driver appear to have been dinking?
• Any statement made by the other driver as to the cause of the accident
• Witnesses names, addresses and telephone numbers

You will probably not be able to obtain all of the information requested above, but that is ok. The purpose of the checklist is to give you some guidance regarding helpful information. The more information you have the easier it will be for the Personal Injury Attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss to help you.