What should the car accident victims do soon after the accident?

Car accidents are common in metropolitan areas, and you must know how to protect the right of the inured persons so that you can guide others to receive compensation. The law states that the injured persons have the right to seek legal help from the Tampa injury attorney Dennis Hernandez or any other personal injury lawyer for claiming compensation for the damages and injuries according to the personal injury laws. Property damages, if any, should also be a part of the claim and your lawyer can guide you in this matter. In most cases, the compensation comes through a settlement reached at by the plaintiff and the insurance settler of the offending party failing which the case moves to the court, and the judge or jury decides the compensation payable to the plaintiff.

To ensure that the claim process is smooth and you receive the right compensation, you must be aware of the actions you should take.

Document the scene of the accident

Soon after an accident that causes injuries to people, seeking medical attention should be your priority depending on the nature of injuries and its seriousness because in some cases, it might require hospitalization. Soon after receiving primary medical care to recover from the initial shock you must start documenting the scene of the accident in the most authentic manner covering every detail starting from the moments that led to the accident till the time the police arrived including gathering witnesses to bolster your case.

Call the police

Even before you start documenting the scene of the accident, you must call the police for preparing a police report of the incident. The police report is the official record of what happened at the accident site and strengthens the documentation that you are doing. Overcome all resistance of the other party who might prevent you from calling the police. The police report helps to establish the fault of the erring driver involved in the accident.

Arrange for witnesses

Witnesses are crucial for establishing your case authentically to corroborate your claim and gathering witnesses is one of your important tasks when documenting the scene of the accident. Talk to people who saw the incident happen and are willing to depose as witnesses in the case. Get their names, contact number, etc. and gather as much information by asking questions that help to reveal the facts in the right perspective and helps your cause.

Take photos

Photos create the best documentation, and you must take extensive photographs of the scene of the accident to record the dates on it for maintaining authenticity. If you do not have a camera, take help from others, especially the witnesses to capture the images of the damages to the vehicle and the injuries to people.

Retain medical records

Retain all records of the medical treatment, including medical reports, medical bills, and the doctor's note that bears testimony to injuries. It amply proves the medical condition of the injured persons.

In addition, obtain two to three estimates of vehicle repair to avoid independent inspection by insurance companies.