Auto Accident

SEELEY LEGAL SERVICES P.A., 3416 University Ave SE, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-2440 seeleylegal@hotmail.com

WHAT TO DO AFTER AN AUTO ACCIDENT

Have you ever had the bad luck of being in an auto accident? Unfortunately, most of us will have to answer “yes” to this question. Many drivers are in a hurry, eating, talking on their cellular phones, listening to their favorite music – all while trying to drive their car. Thus, many drivers do not fully concentrate on their driving. Driver inattention plus bad road conditions caused by rain, ice and snow cause most auto accidents. Safe drivers are often the victim of poor driving habits by other careless drivers. Our experienced personal injury attorneys have helped hundreds of people injured in car accidents recover money for their bodily injuries and property damage. If you are involved in an auto accident – either as a driver or passenger – please follow these tips:

1. Call 911 for emergency help. If you or others riding in your vehicle have bodily pain, cuts, bruises, broken limbs, feel dizzy (with or without loss of consciousness) or feel any tingling or numbness in your body – call 911 for an ambulance right away. If possible, move your vehicle off the road.

2. Write down the names, address, telephone number of the other driver and the make, model, license plate number and color of their vehicle. Carry a pad of paper and pen in your vehicle at all times with your insurance card taped to the note pad cover.

3. Look around for any witnesses to the accident – either in other vehicles or on foot. If you see any other drivers or pedestrians who may have seen the collision, ask them what they saw. If they saw the collision, then write down their name, address, telephone number (home and work), and get a brief description of what they saw. Even if the police have been called, DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE POLICE WILL INTERVIEW ALL WITNESSES. Often by the time the police arrive witnesses have left the scene. Sometimes the police do not interview all witnesses, which can result in the loss of a key witness.

4. Ask to see the other drivers’ license and insurance card. Copy down their license number, insurance company, policy number, name of their insurance agent and telephone. They are required to give you this information under Minnesota State law. Look at the photo on their license to see if it matches their facial appearance.

5. Check the vehicle listed on the insurance card to see if it matches the make and model of the vehicle they are driving. If they say they are not the owner of the vehicle, ask them for the name, address and telephone number of the owner. Then ask them to check the inside of the car to see if the driver has left the insurance card in the vehicle.

6. Record the street location and other details of the accident. If you or one of the other passengers in your vehicle can get out of your vehicle without any feeling any bodily pain or danger of being hit by other vehicles, check to see where your vehicle AND THE OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE COLLISION have been damaged.

7. Take photos of the damage to your vehicle and any other involved vehicles. Keep a disposable Kodak or Fuji camera in your vehicle with a built in flash. Then you will be able to photograph damage to all vehicles. Take at least one photo of the license plate of the other vehicles. Also take photos of the accident scene – including skid marks on the pavement or tire tread marks on the snow.

8. If the other party admits causing the collision, take notes of what they say. If the other party starts asking you questions about your driving prior to the collision, DO NOT GET INTO A DISCUSSION – OR ARGUMENT – WITH THEM ABOUT WHO CAUSED THE COLLISION. Just exchange driver license and insurance information and wait for the police to come. Also look around for witnesses and MAKE SURE TO COPY DOWN THE LICENSE NUMBER, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE OTHER VEHICLES.

9. Call Seeley Legal Services at (612) 379-2440 to report the accident – even if you are not sure how badly you or your passengers were injured. If it is after office hours, just leave your name and telephone number on our answering machine and we will call the next day. If you require a Hmong, Lao, Chinese, Spanish or other language interpreter, tell us when you call. One of our attorneys or investigators will visit with you as soon as possible.

10. Take photos of your damaged vehicle before any repairs are made, or better yet – let our investigator take photos. Don’t rely on photos taken by your insurance company or auto body shop, since these photos often do not fully show the damages to your vehicle. Keep copies of written damage estimates by the insurance company and auto body shop.

11. DO NOT GIVE ANY RECORDED STATEMENTS TO THE OTHER DRIVER, THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY OR YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY BEFORE CONTACTING OUR OFFICE TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF YOUR ACCIDENT.

Being in an auto accident is stressful – but is a reality of life. SEELEY LEGAL SERVICES will try to assist you in getting a full recovery for your property damage and personal injuries.

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