What you do in the moments immediately after the accident and in the days and weeks that follow can significantly impact your health and your right to recover compensation. However, you may be startled, confused, and scared after a crash.
It is helpful to know in advance what to do and not do after an accident. Consider the following actions as a guide for what steps to take if you are involved in a car accident in Denver. If you have sustained serious injuries after an accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Denver car accident lawyers at Dan Caplis Law. Contact us today.
What To Do After a Car Accident in Denver
Knowing what to do after a car accident in Denver can help keep you safe and ensure you can seek damages for injuries caused by another party. Steps you should take after a Denver car accident include:
- Focus on safety: If possible, move your vehicle out of traffic and to a safe location to help avoid additional collisions. Turn on your hazard lights.
- Check for injuries: Check yourself, your passengers, and the occupants of other vehicles involved.
- Call 911 for medical assistance and law enforcement: Colorado law requires you to report to the police all accidents involving injuries, death, or significant damage.
- Seek immediate medical attention: Even if you think your injuries are not severe, you should be evaluated by a physician. Some injuries are not immediately apparent but can result in long-term disability and chronic pain.
- Document the scene: If you can, take photographs and video footage of the accident scene, including the position of the involved vehicles, road conditions, stop signs or traffic signals, visible injuries, and anything else relevant to the accident.
- Exchange information: Exchange insurance, registration, license, and contact information with other drivers involved in the accident.
- Collect eyewitness contact information: If there are witnesses to the accident, ask for their names and contact information.
- Notify your insurance company: You are required to report a car accident to your insurance company promptly. Provide truthful, accurate details. However, do not admit fault.
- Keep all medical appointments: Follow through with your prescribed treatment plan.
- Promptly contact an experienced Denver car accident attorney: The sooner the Dan Caplis Law car accident attorneys can get to work on your case, the sooner we can help you recover maximum compensation for your damages. Vital evidence can be lost, destroyed, or diminished over time. We will take fast action to help identify and collect the evidence needed to build your strongest case.
- Follow your attorney’s advice: Take the advice of your attorney about what else you should or should not do while your claim is pending.
What Not To Do After a Car Accident in Denver
Knowing what not to do after a car accident in Denver is equally important. Some things you should avoid include:
- Do not admit fault: You do not yet know all the facts surrounding your accident. Allow an experienced Denver car accident attorney to investigate your accident to help determine all possible causes and liable parties.
- Do not apologize for the accident: Many people quickly apologize, even when it is not their fault. Whether you think you are at fault or not, don’t apologize. An apology can be used against you to help prove fault.
- Do not leave the scene: You must stay at the accident scene until you are released by the responding officer or taken for emergency medical treatment.
- Do not give a recorded statement: Insurance companies often contact car accident victims quickly after an accident. Remember that insurance company representatives are not your friends. Their job is to deny or devalue your claim so their company pays out as little as possible. Don’t give them a recorded statement until you have consulted an attorney.
- Do not post on social media: Refrain from posting comments or photos on social media while your claim is pending. Insurance adjusters often review social media accounts, hoping to find something to cast doubt on the severity of your injuries. Also, ask family and friends not to post anything about you during this time.
Why Do I Need a Denver Car Accident Lawyer?
After a car accident, the insurance companies will be working to defend against your claim. They often use unfair tactics to get you to settle for much less than the actual value of your claim.
An experienced car accident attorney in Denver will know how to combat the tactics used by insurance companies and can help you recover maximum compensation.
Until you know the actual value of your damages, you will not know what is a fair settlement offer. Your attorney will help accurately calculate your current and future expenses and losses, so you know what your claim is worth.
Your attorney will help negotiate a fair settlement of your claim as quickly as possible. If a fair settlement can not be reached, your attorney will take your case to trial and hold the responsible parties liable for paying the full value of your claim.
Your chances of success are significantly greater when an experienced Denver car accident attorney represents you.
Contact an Experienced Denver Car Accident Attorney
The Denver car accident attorneys at Dan Caplis Law have protected the rights of accident victims and their families for over 40 years. We have a proven record of recovering maximum compensation for our clients.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your Denver car accident case today by calling (303) 770-5551 or visiting our contact page.