No one plans to have a car accident. It can be a frightening and very stressful experience that leaves you injured and wondering what to do next. Maryland car accident attorney Stuart Plotnick offers these tips to help you protect your rights:
- Call 911. Assuming the accident is more than just a minor fender-bender with no injury, call the police and fire department to the scene. Everyone involved should be checked out by a medical professional.
- Medical treatment: Your health and well-being is the first priority after any accident. If you are injured or just do not feel right after the accident, go to the hospital in the ambulance or as soon as you can. Get evaluated and follow all instructions from the doctors.
- Collect information. You’ll need the other driver’s name, contact information and insurance information. You’ll also want to talk to witnesses and get their contact information.
- Take photos. To protect yourself and in order to preserve any important images of the scene, damage to the vehicles, and/or injuries to persons involved, take photographs immediately if you are able. They can often be the key to resolving a dispute or proving some aspect of the accident or injury at a later date. Today, if you have a cell phone, you usually have a camera.
- Record details. Although the police report will contain much of the key information about the accident, write down all of the details you can remember as soon as you can. The closer in time you do this to the accident, the more details you will be able to remember and record.
- Don’t admit fault or sign anything. Talk to the investigating police officer and your doctors. But do not discuss the accident with the insurance company or lawyers for the other driver.
If you have been injured in a car accident, please call 301-251-1286 today or contact the Law Offices of Stuart L. Plotnick, LLC for your consultation with an experienced Maryland auto accident attorney. We represent clients in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC.