1. Get the contact information from any witness who saw how you were injured and contact them or have your personal injury attorney contact them to secure a statement. You would be surprised how the driver at fault might change his story and go from apologizing to you at the scene of the accident to denying any responsibility just a few days later. Also, it’s important to contact the witnesses sooner rather than later as memory of events tends to fade and they are not nearly as likely to remember as many details about your accident later.
2. Take photos. Take the photos your vehicle on the outside and the inside (especially if the glass was shattered and/or airbags deployed) and photos of any bruising on your body, including a mark from a restraining belt. Pictures make a much stronger statement than a 100 words to an insurance company, their lawyer, the court and the jury, especially if your injuries are serious and if the damage to your vehicle is significant.
3. Keep your clothes. If you were involved in a slip-and-fall accident or you were a pedestrian hit by a car, make sure you keep your closes that might have been torn and your shoes. This is important because later, the defendants will try to blame your fall on the fact that your shoes were slippery.
4. Get medical evaluation as soon as possible. Waiting and not getting treatment because you think you don’t need it or because you think you can’t afford it is one of the most common mistakes that victims of injury accidents make that often significantly reduces the value of their injury claim. Make sure you get evaluated promptly – within a few days or sooner if possible. Not doing so gives the insurance company a convincing argument that if you were hurting as badly as you say you were, you would have gone to see a doctor sooner.
5. Don’t give statement without legal representation. If you believe that you will be represented by an attorney, don’t give statements to the insurance company representative without being prepared by your attorney and without your attorneys presence. There is absolutely no rush in giving that statement and you can easily tell the insurance adjuster that wants to get your statement that you will get back to them in a few days or weeks.
