Car accidents are a tragically common experience in Colorado and across the country. The likelihood is that most motorists will be involved in a crash at some point during their lives.
How to Prepare for a Car Accident Before It Happens
Due to the high probability of getting into a collision in Colorado, there are a few things you can do to plan for the inevitable.
Nothing can truly prepare you for the chaos that follows an accident. However, there are some steps you can take in advance to best prepare you in the unfortunate event you are involved in a crash. These include:
1. Organize Your Paperwork
Make sure you have important documents in your car where you can easily locate them. This includes your vehicle’s registration and a current insurance card. Also make sure you carry your driver’s license whenever you are behind the wheel.
2. Keep a Fully Powered Device on You
Carry a cellphone with you, and make sure it is always fully charged. Not only will having a cellphone allow you to call for help, most phones also include a camera feature that you can use to take photos to document the crash. Late model vehicles are equipped with built-in USB ports, high-wattage 12V adapters, or wireless charging options, making it easy to power up your device while driving to your next location.
3. Stow a Flashlight
Make sure you have a flashlight in your vehicle. This could come in handy if you are involved in an accident at night as it is essential for safety, visibility, and security. Choose a durable, waterproof flashlight that offers at least 300, but better yet, 500 or more lumens. Prioritize a rechargeable model with a lithium battery to withstand extreme temperatures. Features like a magnetic base for hands-free repairs, or a multi-functional tool equipped with a seatbelt cutter and window breaker, are also highly desirable for this application. A flashlight allows you to:
- Assess you and your passengers’ injuries
- Inspect your vehicle for damage
- Locate jostled personal items
- Signal for help and conserve your phone battery
- Prevent secondary accidents with oncoming traffic
4. Pack Flares in Your Trunk
Consider carrying flares or cones to warn oncoming traffic about the crash. Store road flares in a cool, dry place within your car, such as a sealed bag in the trunk or the spare tire compartment to ensure they are easily accessible during an emergency. Just keep them away from extreme, prolonged heat above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider using plastic bins to prevent moisture from degrading the flares and store them away from potential spark sources. Most dedicated roadside emergency kits come stocked with flares, but if you are concerned about fire hazards, consider purchasing electronic LED flares or heavy-duty glow sticks.
5. Create an Emergency Contact List
Have an emergency contact list of people to call in case you are hurt in a crash. You can keep a digital list stored on your phone or write a list on paper that you keep in your glove box, in your wallet, or somewhere else where it won’t get lost.
Actions to Take After a Colorado Car Accident
All of these items we discussed will be useful if you are in a car accident in Denver or elsewhere in Colorado. But even when you are fully prepared to handle a collision, there are certain steps you should take in the aftermath of a crash. Here are some suggestions for what to do immediately after a car accident.
For Your Safety Do This Until Help Arrives
Remain calm and be polite. A car accident is a sudden and traumatic event. It is understandable that you may feel shocked, frightened, and even angry. Take a moment to calm down before interacting with other drivers, the police, and anyone else on the scene. It is best to proceed in a businesslike manner and avoid making accusations or starting an argument. Defuse the situation if someone else tries to provoke you.
Don’t apologize and don’t admit fault. Many people have a natural impulse to say “I’m sorry” when something bad happens. Though you may simply mean that you’re sorry that the accident occurred, your words may be interpreted as an admission of fault. Even if you think you did do something wrong to cause the crash, don’t say so. All of the facts are not clear in the confusion of an accident scene.
Get to a safe place. If you feel that you are in danger of being hit by oncoming traffic, move to a safer location if possible. Many people are injured in secondary crashes that happen when inattentive drivers crash into the vehicles involved in the first accident.
Check for injuries and call for emergency medical help. Assess yourself and others in your vehicle for injuries. If you are able, check with the occupants of the other vehicles to see if they are injured. Do not attempt to move someone who has been seriously injured unless they are facing an imminent threat, such as fire or drowning. Adrenaline can mask pain, so assess yourself thoroughly first, then check on your passengers, then the occupants in other involved vehicles. Look for signs of bleeding, swelling, cuts, or symptoms like dizziness, confusion, or nausea.
Await law enforcement: Stay put, especially if there is any serious damage to the vehicle. It is always best to wait for police assistance after a car accident in Colorado, as leaving opens you up to potential hit and run charges.
Take pictures. If you are able to do so, it may be very helpful for your case if you can document the accident scene in the moments immediately following the incident. If you are unable to do so yourself, ask a friend or a bystander to help you. Using a cellphone or other camera, get photos of the accident scene from all angles and perspectives. Take pictures of the cars and where they collided with each other or other objects. Be sure to photograph the damage to the vehicles. Get photos of any visible injuries. While your memory is still fresh, jot down your recollections about how the accident happened – but don’t share this information with others on the scene.
Gather witness information: Gathering statements from bystanders after a Colorado car accident is crucial to establish liability, prove negligence, and maximize insurance compensation. Because our state follows a comparative fault system, independent witnesses provide unbiased, third-party accounts that corroborate your story, counteract conflicting reports from other drivers, and support your insurance claim.
Cooperate with law enforcement. You should answer questions from the police honestly and politely, but answer only what is asked. Do not speculate about the cause of the crash, volunteer additional information, or share your opinions. Do not admit fault and do not accuse the other drivers of anything. Ask how to get a copy of the accident report, and get one as soon as you can.
Take Follow-Up Steps to Secure Your Claim
1. Notify your insurance company. You should report the accident to your own insurer as soon as possible after the crash, but you need to provide only the basic details of the crash (when it happened, where it happened, who was involved, etc.) Do not offer to make a recorded or written statement about the crash without the advice of a qualified Denver car accident lawyer. Don’t say anything that downplays the extent of your injuries or losses. Don’t agree to a settlement offer made at this point without first consulting a lawyer. Some insurance companies may attempt to make a claim go away quickly and cheaply with an immediate offer. In virtually all cases, this sum is far less than what the victim truly deserves. If the other driver’s insurance company contacts you, refer them to your insurance carrier or lawyer.
2. Seek medical attention and follow up. Even if you did not initially think you were hurt and you did not receive medical attention at the scene, you should still get a full medical examination as soon as possible after the accident. Some serious – even life-threatening – injuries are not immediately apparent, and the stress of an accident can mask the pain at first. Be sure to tell the doctor that you were involved in a motor vehicle accident and describe what happened to your body in the crash. When you are prescribed a course of treatment, be sure to follow through on all doctors’ orders. Take the medicine as prescribed and participate in rehabilitation or other procedures the doctor prescribes. Be sure to go to all medical appointments for follow-up care.
3. Do not discuss the accident: Insurance companies employ a long list of tactics to get out of paying your claim. Any statements you make at the scene or in the coming months would be used against you to deny or reduce your compensation. Never provide a recorded statement without legal counsel, and avoid speculating on details, guessing about injuries, or accepting quick settlement offers. Even seemingly innocent posts on social media could have serious consequences, especially when taken out of context. Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers monitor these platforms to find evidence that could justify minimizing or denying your claim, reducing your compensation by arguing that your injuries are not serious or that you are not as limited as you claim to be.
4. Connect with law enforcement: Get the police officer’s name and badge number to easily locate the official police report. You need this formal record of the accident to file an insurance claim, as it helps prove fault and documents witness statements.
5. Keep a recovery journal: Keeping a log of your symptoms, medical appointments, and accident-related expenses. Journaling documents your pain, emotional distress, and daily limitations proves non-economic damages and would help maximize injury compensation by creating an accurate, detailed timeline that is not memory dependent.
6. Get help from a lawyer without delay. Colorado has complex insurance laws, but insurance company adjusters and the insurer’s lawyers know them well. They deal with them every day, but this may be the first time you have faced the aftermath of a serious car accident. You need someone on your side who also has a thorough understanding of car accident laws and is ready to fight for your right to full compensation for your injuries and other losses. The personal injury attorneys at The Wilhite Law Firm have the experience and dedication to help you. Contact them as soon as possible after the crash for a free claim review and advice about your legal options and rights.
Colorado Lawyers Who Can Help Understand What to Do After a Car Accident
At the moment of impact in a car crash, it can seem as though your whole world has stopped. In that next moment, a million different questions can go through your head, including:
- How serious are my injuries?
- Is my car beyond repair?
- What happened to the other people involved in the collision?
- Will I be able to return to work—and when?
- How will I support my family while I recover?
- How will I pay for my medical bills?
- What are my legal rights and options?
These are all important and intelligent questions. When you need answers, contact the experienced team at The Wilhite Law Firm. At our office in Denver, we stand ready to assist you with all your legal needs so you can get your life back on track after being in a car accident.
At The Wilhite Law Firm, we document every aspect of your injury and carefully investigate each detail of your case because we know that this can make a difference in the amount of compensation we recover for you. We strive to keep you fully informed of our progress every step of the way.
Our Denver car accident attorneys will communicate with insurance companies and other parties responsible for compensating you for your injuries or for the wrongful death of a family member.
We will also relentlessly pursue the truth surrounding the details of your accident. At our firm, truth is one of the 5 values that define our approach to practicing law. We see truth as the actual state of a matter. “What is not true disintegrates.”
Our goal is to uncover the truth and use this information to collect maximum compensation on your claim by aggressively negotiating for a fair settlement or pursuing a favorable verdict at trial.
Denver Injury Attorneys Committed to Uncovering the Truth
Contact us day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Someone is always available to answer your call and speak with you about your Colorado car accident case. You can also send us an email about your case, and someone from our firm will be in touch to schedule a complimentary consultation so you can meet with a Denver car crash attorney who can answer your questions.
