JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

You are stopped at a signal on one of our Pennsylvania motorways, and suddenly you are hit from behind by another vehicle. You get out and realize that no one has been injured. Do you still need to call 911? The answer to that is yes! Establishing a legal paper trail is always the right thing to do. Even if you and the driver who hit you agree to let the insurance companies handle the claims, how do you know if the other party’s insurance is up to date? Are you sure that the driver even has insurance? Even if the other driver says that they are uninjured, how do you know that they won’t change their story after you leave the scene? One in every seven drivers does not have insurance. Will you be able to prove what happened if you do not have a police report?

What you should not do after a motor vehicle accident:

1. Leave the scene
2. Decide not to call 911
3. Get angry with the other driver and lose your cool
4. Forget to document the accident
5. Neglect to follow through with all the things you need to do

It would be a mistake to leave the scene of any accident, even if there are no injures and only minor damage. Even if, in your opinion, the wreck doesn’t seem serious, you should always check on the condition of the other driver. You should report the accident to the police and exchange insurance information. If you fail to call 911, there is no real proof that the accident happened the way you say it did. The other driver could change the story after the fact.

Any car accident is a scary experience, and you should make sure that you are in control of your emotions. You may not realize that you are injured, so don’t start yelling at and blaming the other driver. You need to stay as calm as possible to correctly assess the situation. Keeping a clear head will help you document the situation. You should think about what you were doing just before the accident. You should remember what direction you were traveling and what street you were on. A very important question that will need to be answered is, “when and from where did the other driver enter the situation?” Always write down the other car’s license plate number when you exchange all contact and insurance information.

Finally, you must always follow up on all of the paper work that is necessary for your insurance claim, and yes, you need to call an attorney. The experienced lawyers at MMK Law will be able to answer all your questions concerning your legal rights. Please call us today at either our Philadelphia office, 215-545-1870, or our Allentown location, 610-366-1414. You may also contact us toll-free at 1-888-807 WORK (9675).