Your Complete Car Accident Checklist
Being involved in a car accident in West Michigan, especially one that isn’t your fault, can be a harrowing experience. It’s crucial to know the right steps to take to protect yourself and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. In addition to following the checklist below, you should immediately call to speak with one of our attorneys. Seven days a week, one of attorneys and partners at West Michigan Injury Lawyers, will meet with you at your home or at our law office, whichever you prefer.
Immediate Steps to Take After a Car Accident:
- Contact the police department
- Seek Medical Attention and Report all of Your Injuries
- Call us at West Michigan Injury Lawyers – to Ensure we Collect all The Evidence of the Accident
- Report the Auto Accident to Your Insurance Company – but do not sign any documents
- If safe to do so, take photos of your vehicle and your injuries
- Request an Application for No-Fault benefits
- Request a Copy of the Police Report
Call the Police – It’s the Law and It is Required Under the Terms of your Policy
There are specific steps you must take in order to protect yourself. You or someone on your behalf must immediately call the police. Pursuant to the motor vehicle code, MCL 257.619, and (most likely) your insurance policy, you must immediately report the accident to the police.
If the accident involves a hit-and-run, then most insurance policies require that the police are called and a police report is made within the first 24 hours. Failure to meet this condition can bar injury claims (under most insurance policies).
Seek Medical Attention – Report all of Your Injuries
If you have sustained any injuries, you must seek immediately medical attention. In a violent auto accident that results in damage to your vehicle, you must protect your health. Often emergency hospital physicians will ensure a person is in no immediate danger by running various diagnostic scans including CT scans and or x-rays. There is no substitute for reporting your injuries to a medical professional. The ER records will also later serve as a record of your pain complaints after the accident. Many times, insurance companies will (tactically) deny your injury claim if it is not noted in the ER records following an accident.
Call West Michigan Injury Lawyers – to Ensure we Collect all The Evidence of the Accident
The police will arrive on scene, ensure no one is in immediate danger and then may or may not issue a citation. Often in cases where who caused the accident is not 100% clear, it is important for an attorney and or their investigators to immediately get to work on collecting evidence. This may include collecting video surveillance from surrounding businesses before it is deleted and or getting an investigator to pull the electronic data off a vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR). West Michigan Injury Lawyers frequently gather video evidence of an accident and EDR evidence to prove our clients are not at fault for causing an accident. Sadly, many attorneys do not realize the timing of the collection of this evidence can be the difference between a client getting hundreds of thousands of dollars and zero. The police are not required and not interested in video or EDR evidence unless there is a death.
Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company
Your Insurance Carrier is going to want a statement, and often these statements are recorded. If you have not already done so, you should call one of our attorneys to ensure your rights are protected. Sometimes the at fault driver’s insurance and the injured parties insurance is one in the same. In that case, your insurance company might have a conflict when they are questioning you about the accident. Also, you should be prepared for the types of questions you will be asked about how the accident happened. Once the statement is recorded, for better or worse, it will be evidence in your injury case.
Take Photographs of Your Vehicle and Your Injuries
When it is safe to do so, take photographs of your damaged automobile and take photographs of your injuries. When it is time to make a settlement demand for your injuries, our attorneys at West Michigan Injury Lawyers will submit the most detailed and compelling demand package on your behalf to ensure you receive the largest possible settlement. Most auto accident injury attorneys overlook the personal aspect of your story, which includes the damage to your vehicle, and most importantly, the damage to your body following the auto collision. Nothing tells a story more than a photograph or video.
Determine your Michigan No-Fault Benefits
You have paid for insurance for years and never needed it. Now you need it and you need to know what is covered. Call and speak with one of our attorneys today, no matter what the day, seven days a week. One of our expert no-fault attorneys will immediately meet with you and review your policy to determine the extent of your no-fault coverage. We will tell you if your policy covers your medical bills, damage to your vehicle, and or your wage loss. Meet with one of our attorney partners at West Michigan Injury Lawyers so we can guide you through the confusing insurance coverage process.
Request a Copy of the Police Report
As your attorneys, we will check the database daily to ensure you get the report as soon as it is released by the police department.
By following this checklist, you can protect your rights and lay the groundwork for a successful claim. West Michigan Injury Lawyers, PLC is here to support you every step of the way.
About the Author, Attorney David Givskud
If you have been injured in West Michigan through no fault of your own, contact Attorney David Givskud today for a free consultation.
“I advocate for each and every client as if they were my own family and as if they were my only client. That means using every ounce of my previous experience and current drive to obtain the results my injured clients deserve. Being injured can be a devastating life event. I take pride and consider it a privilege to help guide clients through their challenging times and to pursue damages on their behalf.”
