Injured in a Car Accident in Missouri? 5 Steps You Need to Take Immediately
Have you been one of the thousands of people who are involved in a Missouri motor vehicle accident each year? If so, you already know how even a minor accident can disrupt your routine for a significant period. More severe crashes can leave you with injuries and property damage that just upend your life even further.
The actions you take immediately following your car accident can impact how your life is affected. Taking the right steps can put you in a strong position to seek compensation for your injuries. Taking the wrong steps, in contrast, can prolong your recovery or put your damages claim at risk.
Even when you practice safe driving habits, you have no control over other drivers and the choices they make on the road. That said, what you do have complete control over is what you do after an accident occurs.
Take the following steps to ensure the fairest outcome. For more information
1. Move to a Safe Location
First and foremost, look around to determine a safe location to move to, if possible. You want to avoid staying in the middle of a busy intersection or near a vehicle leaking fuel or chemicals. Scan the area for a place that is out of the way of traffic and any other hazards. There, you can collect yourself and consider your next steps.
2. Contact Emergency Services if Needed
In Missouri, you should contact local police and request they respond to your location if anyone was hurt or killed in the accident. When calling for assistance, ask for an ambulance to come to your location to address any injuries.
You should also request a police officer to respond to your location in the following circumstances:
- There appears to be significant property damage to the vehicles involved
- One or more motorists are uninsured
- The other driver flees the scene of the accident
- You strike an unattended vehicle or property
You should always report the accident to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
3. Share Information, but Do Not Discuss the Accident
While at the scene of your accident, you will be asked to share your name, your driver’s license and insurance information, and other basic facts. Officers or witnesses might also inquire how the accident occurred, and if they do, you should be cautious about what you share. Remember — anything you share can have an impact on any future claim for damages.
Do not volunteer information. Under no circumstance should you discuss who was at fault at the crash scene. Determining fault requires carefully analyzing all the relevant facts, some of which you may not know immediately following your accident.
Even if you feel you might have done something wrong and caused the accident, you must refrain from revealing that at the accident scene.
4. Document Whatever You Can at the Car Accident Scene
The moment after a Missouri crash occurs, the accident scene begins to change. People and vehicles move, evidence can be lost, and memories begin to fade. Try to preserve as many details as possible. If you have a smartphone, take pictures of the accident scene and vehicle damage. If you are hurt, take photographs of your injuries as well.
In case witnesses assisted during the accident, gather their names and numbers. According to Stephen Schultz, a St. Louis car accident attorney, your lawyer may need to interview them and incorporate their statements when filing a car accident claim.
5. Make Plans to Visit a Medical Provider
You should consider when and where you can get evaluated and treated for injuries at the crash scene. You may not immediately realize how seriously you have been hurt, and unnecessary delays in treatment can affect your ability to recover. Even if you feel okay, you should still visit an emergency room or your doctor’s office to get checked out.
Certain injuries should prompt you to request an ambulance to transport you to the hospital immediately. Head injuries resulting in a momentary loss of consciousness or any injury resulting in tingling or a loss of sensation in your body should be cause for concern. If you are unsure that you need to be transported by ambulance, remain cautious and allow yourself to be transported.
When to Seek Legal Help for Your Accident in Missouri
Once you have left the crash scene, you should seek to retain legal counsel as soon as possible. The process for obtaining compensation is complicated, even if you made all the right moves after your wreck. However, an experienced attorney in Missouri can work with you after your accident to obtain the compensation you deserve.
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