If you’ve recently hired a San Diego accident attorney, you’re probably dealing with a lot of major issues right now. Your attorney is there to help you through all the problems that you may be facing with the other party, the insurance company, and the medical challenges that you are experiencing. One of the things your new lawyer will be able to help you through is by filing an insurance claim and explaining everything to you, but here are some basics that you should do before you even hire the lawyer that will help you case go smoothly:
Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately After Your Accident
While you do have to report the accident to the police department, it is your responsibility to report it to the insurance company. If it is a minor collision, you may get the idea that you should pay for the damages yourself and avoid the risk of a rate increase. On the surface, this sounds like an excellent idea, but there is the real possibility that the entire thing may resurface at a later date, and you will appear to have withheld information.
Get as Many Details as Possible While on the Scene
Waiting until you hire a lawyer is far too late to get the pertinent information from an accident scene. Even the police will not be able to completely gather all the information in a timely manner. Unless you’re seriously injured in the accident, your role after the accident is to be the first detective. You should immediately get the names of the other driver(s) involved and their contact information, license plate numbers, names of the passengers, witnesses contact information, the other driver’s insurance information, and photographs of all vehicles and their damages, and photos of any other damages that may have been caused by the accident.
Record any Conversations That You Have With Any People Involved
This will include not only those at the scene but any conversations you may have with insurance agents, investigative officers, or any other people that may be called to the scene of the accident or are called in later. These recordings can be either written or recorded on your portable device. It is natural that after a traumatic event like an accident that our memories begin to fade or are clouded because of the stress. These documents will be an aid to keep an accurate account of what actually transpired.
If you’ve successfully compiled all of this information and have completed your fieldwork, your lawyer will be better equipped to handle your case. He or she will be armed with all the needed information to help you file your claim or represent you in court, saving you the task of dealing with all the necessary paperwork.