If You Are
Injured
Whenever you have been injured it is extremely
important that you take steps to protect yourself.
If you have a valid personal injury claim, you should
make every effort to preserve you rights.
***** DISCLAIMER *****
The information contained on this website is intended
only to be general information and should not be
relied upon in making decisions regarding your case.
An attorney-client relationship with David Groner,
P.L.C. can only be established after consultation
with one of our attorneys and agreement to the terms
of your representation.
After you have been injured and your immediate
medical needs are taken care of, you should take
the following steps:
Obtain General Information
Write down the names, addresses and telephone
numbers of all persons involved and all persons
who witnesses the accident
Copy down the license plate numbers of all vehicles
involved in the accident and vehicles which may
have been close enough to the accident for the occupants
to have witnessed the accident.
Get the insurance information from the opposing
driver, that is, Write down the insurance company
name, policy number and named insured for the persons
and vehicles involved in the accident.
Obtain a SR-10 form from the police officer who
is assigned to the accident and promptly complete
it and return it to the address provided.
Get the name and badge number of the police officer(s)
assigned on the case.
Get photographs and other physical evidence
Take pictures of the accident scene and the vehicles
or other things involved in the accident.
Don't just take one or two. Take many photographs
and from many different angles. Your attorney will
decide which photos are appropriate.
Make sure you take pictures of the surrounding area
and the road. There may have been a defect in the
road which contributed to the accident.
Make sure you take pictures of the skid marks if
any.
If you or anyone else sustained a visible injury
such as a bruise, cut or scrape, take a picture
of the injuries.
It is a good idea to always carry a disposable 35mm
camera in your vehicle at all times.
Store all items of physical evidence in a safe place.
If the evidence is perishable, such as food, store
the items in a plastic bag and put the bag in a
freezer.
If you were involved in a slip and fall accident,
preserve your shoes and other clothing by sealing
them in a plastic bag. Do not wash your clothes
or you may destroy valuable evidence.
Things you should NOT do after an accident
DO NOT give statements to insurance company employees
unless your attorney advises you to do so. If you
have a policy with an insurance company, you may
be required to report any accident in which you
may be involved. However DO NOT allow the insurance
company to record your conversation. Just explain
how the accident happened and give a brief description
of the accident.
DO NOT admit that you may have been at fault in
the accident. Fault is determined by a court of
law.
DO NOT state that you have not been injured. You
may have been injured and the symptoms will not
appear immediately. |
