If you’ve just been involved in a car accident in New Orleans, you may be feeling many emotions, and thousands of thoughts may be running through your head—What just happened? Am I injured? Is the passenger in my vehicle injured? Do I need to go to the hospital? What will happen to me after this accident? Will it impact my life?
Try to remain calm and take the following steps after being the victim of a car accident in New Orleans.
Step One: Always call the police, and do not leave the scene of the accident.
Suppose you are involved in an accident in New Orleans, and you are hurt. You should call 911 immediately and remain at the scene of the accident until the police or emergency services personnel arrive. Stay at the scene of the accident or as close to where the accident occurred as is safely possible. Safety is the most important thing, but if you are able, make sure that you do not leave the scene until the police arrive.
Step Two: Collect information and take pictures.
It is crucial to collect information at the scene of even a minor collision. If you are able, make sure to take photographs of any damages to your vehicle and any other vehicle or vehicles involved in the accident. Make sure to take pictures of the full car and different angles, especially the portion of the vehicle impacted by the collision. Take photographs of the scene around the crash if you can do so. If you see any marks or debris on the road around your vehicle, such as skid marks or pieces of the cars involved in the accident, you should photograph these. You should also take photographs of any injuries you may have suffered as a result of the collision.
It is also vital that you collect information about the cars involved in the accident and the people involved in the accident. Make a note about the type of vehicle or vehicles that hit you, including the make, model, and color of the car. If you are able, jot down the license plate numbers of the motor vehicles involved in the accident. Ask for the name, address, and telephone number of the people involved in the accident. It is also crucial that you get the auto insurance information of the drivers involved in the accident, including the name of the driver’s insurance company and the auto insurance policy number.
If the vehicle that hit you is an 18-wheeler or other type of commercial vehicle, you should write down the name of the company. This might be listed on the side of the truck itself. Make sure you write down any company name or phone number that is written on the vehicle itself. If the police are called to the crash scene, ensure that auto insurance information is included in the police report. Make sure that you answer any questions the police may ask you and with detail. It would be best to let the police officer know that you were not at fault for the accident and that the vehicle that hit you was at fault. If you believe the driver that hit you broke any traffic laws, you should describe this accurately and fully to the police.
If you are aware of any individuals who witnessed the accident, you should get their information. Ask them for their name, phone number, and address. Ask them if they saw the accident take place. Ask them for their story about how the accident took place. If the witness leaves before the police arrive, be sure to let the police know that there were witnesses who saw the accident. The police might ask you for the information you have about the witness to the accident.
Step Three: If you are hurt, seek medical attention immediately.
If you are hurt, you should seek immediate medical attention if you feel it is needed. If police or EMTs are called to the scene of the accident, you must tell them if you are hurt. Even if you believe that your injuries are minor, it is essential that you let them know if you have been injured in the accident. If EMTs are present at the scene, allow them to assess you for injury and decide if you should be transported to an emergency room or medical facility for treatment.
Step Four: Know what happens to your vehicle.
If your vehicle is totaled at the scene or isn’t drivable from the accident scene, make sure that you know where your car is being moved. If a towing company is called, make sure that you have all of the information for the company, and that you know where your car will be stored until it can be evaluated for damages and repair. If you are unable to take photographs of your vehicle or assess it for damage at the scene of the accident, make sure you do this as soon as possible. See below for additional information about what to do if you are unable to take photographs of your vehicle at the scene.
Step Five: Contact an experienced New Orleans car accident attorney.
Finally, if you are injured as the result of a car accident in New Orleans, you should immediately contact an attorney who is equipped to handle any insurance claims you may have and speak to any insurance professional on your behalf. Our attorneys can help guide you through the claims process and recover compensation for your suffering as a result of this type of accident. It would be best if you had an advocate who understands these types of cases and can pursue an auto insurance claim on your behalf.
New Orleans Car Accident FAQs
What if I am unable to take photographs at the scene of the car accident?
You should take photographs of your vehicle in the state it was in immediately after the accident. Make sure that you take pictures before any property damage caused by the accident is repaired or altered. If you are unable to take photos of your vehicle at the scene of the accident, do so as soon as you get home. If your car is towed from the scene, you should go to the vehicle location or tow yard to take pictures of it if possible. It is also necessary to keep detailed records of any repair work or estimates for repair work for your vehicle involved in the accident. This information is essential to show the severity of the impact on your car, which can affect your compensation claim. If you are unable to take photographs of the accident scene, such as the roadway or area surrounding the accident, you may want to return to the accident scene within a short time.
What if I am unable to get information from the other drivers involved in the accident?
Ask the police or any emergency personnel if they could get the other driver’s insurer and contact information from everyone involved in the accident, including the names, addresses, phone numbers, and car insurance information of the parties involved in the accident. It is a typical procedure for police and emergency personnel to collect information at the scene of an accident and file a report based on that information. The police or emergency personnel will likely give you the information, or explain how you can request it in the form of an accident report.
What if the person who hits me flees the scene of the car accident?
If the person who hits you flees the scene of the accident, it is essential that you remain at the scene of the accident until the police or emergency personnel arrive. If you can snap a photo of the fleeing vehicle or remember any details such as the color, make, or type of the car, make sure that you write that information down or make a mental note of it so that you can give it to the authorities. It is illegal to flee the scene of an accident you were involved in.
What if the Insurance Company contacts me before I have spoken to a New Orleans lawyer?
It would be best if you didn’t discuss the accident with anyone other than the police and your attorney during the insurance claim process. An insurance agent with the auto insurance companies involved may contact you after the accident to quickly settle your personal injury claim or try to get a recorded statement about the accident.