If you are in a traffic wreck, you should know how to behave so as to protect your rights.
Call 911: The call will activate an emergency response from law enforcement and emergency medical responders. No matter how minor the incident, or what the other person says or does, you should remain at the scene of an accident until law enforcement officers arrive.
Get checked for injury: Any injury that you or others may have should be evaluated by emergency medical responders. Even if you do not think you are injured you should be evaluated at the scene by the EMTs. If you think you have an injury, be sure to go to the ER to be checked out. An immediate examination by an MD will help you rule out serious injury and help your case when the MD documents an objective evaluation of your pain.
Cooperate with law enforcement: Responding law enforcement officers will evaluate the circumstances of the incident and give you, involved parties, and witnesses an opportunity to make statements. The officers will attempt to determine the party at fault. Cooperate with the officer completely and talk to him with respect. He or she will try to take down the contact information of any witnesses at the scene, which could be very valuable to your case. [It is good if you are able to obtain the phone number of one or more witnesses] The officer will make a report of the incident. Dealing with the insurance carriers without an accident report is much more difficult and will make resolving your case take longer than it otherwise should have.
Take pictures: Pictures are a great way to help move your case in the right direction. With easy access to a camera in cell phones these days, it is a simple matter to take a picture of your car at the scene at the time of the collision. Video is particularly good. Recording a video of your car after a wreck can be a powerful tool for your lawyer to use. The more information we have, the better we will be able to defend your interests and bring you the best outcome possible. It is always wise to take a photo of the license plate of the other driver’s car. This documentation can help eliminate confusion in the future.