Car Accident Do's and Don'ts

When you educate yourself, you gain the ability to make better decisions. The following is a brief outline of the do’s and don’ts if you are involved in an auto accident. This list is not exhaustive, but is only provided to help you avoid the traps that many people fall into. Being one of the oldest personal injury law firms in Sacramento, the Crow Law Offices, with over 90 years of collective legal experience, have gathered vast levels of experience in how to handle personal injury cases. We have handled thousands of cases and have the resources and know how to help our clients seek the settlements or awards that they deserve.

Things you should not do if you are involved in an accident:

• Never leave the scene of even a minor accident
• Never accept an offer of cash, check or “private” settlement
• Do not tell others that you are not injured. Often it takes time before the injury manifests itself. Adrenaline can hide injuries for awhile and certain types of injuries reveal them self slowly over time.
• Do not give any statements (written, recorded or oral) to anyone concerning your accident or injuries without first consulting with us. Do not talk to anyone about the accident other than your attorney and doctors
• Do not sign any authorizations allowing the insurance companies access to your complete medical and employments files.
• Do not make any incorrect statements about prior injuries or accidents. This is especially true for any doctor you are treating with. If you do not remember, say so.
• Do not miss your doctor appointments. This raises a red flag and the insurance company and the jury will not believe that you are injured.
• Do not engage in activities that your doctor advises you not to do. Along the same lines, make sure you follow all of the doctor’s orders and advice
• Avoid doing anything that would raise suspicions as to whether you are injured. You may be watched and filmed by the insurance company. They will try to film you lifting groceries, doing yard work or anything else that conflicts with the limitations your doctor places on you.

Things you should do if you are involved in an accident:

• Report the accident to the CHP or police while at the scene and obtain the accident report number from the officer.
• Report all injuries, no matter how minor, to the reporting officer at the scene.
• Always take photographs of the vehicles involved in the accident before repairs, the surrounding scene of the accident and anything else that may have contributed to the accident.
• Get complete information from others involved in the accident, including name, address, phone number, insurance information and vehicle information
• Get the name, address and phone number from any witnesses if possible.
• Seek immediate medical attention. Even if you believe your injury is minor, it is important to get checked out.
• Keep detailed records. This includes lost time from work, any out-of-pocket expenses you incur (ex. co-pays, prescription costs, home care, transportation, etc…)
• It is often beneficial to keep a journal that is updated frequently describing your pain and suffering, physical limitations and how the injuries are affecting your daily living
• Tell your doctor all of the injuries you sustained in the accident, even if they are minor.