The Immediate Steps to Take After a Car Accident in Greenville, SC
Monty Desai | Partner & Attorney
Do you know what to do right after a car accident? If you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident in Greenville or elsewhere in South Carolina, the steps you take in the hours and days immediately following the accident matter. What you do – or don’t do – can have a big effect on how the accident is settled and for how much.
We’ve previously covered what not to do after a car accident. Here is what to do after a car accident, from a car accident attorney’s point of view.
Seek Medical Attention
If you or someone else in the accident has been badly injured, seek emergency medical attention immediately by calling 911.
What if you don’t feel any obvious pain or have symptoms right after the accident? Go to the doctor within 72 hours of the accident anyway, or earlier if you have any symptoms at all. Sometimes pain can take a while to appear, but you don’t want to wait too long. Insurance companies take into account whether a plaintiff (the injured party) seeks medical treatment, and this factors into the settlement amount offered. This is why seeking medical attention and reporting any symptoms that may be related to the accident at all is critically important.
Move to the Side of the Road
If your vehicle is still in drivable condition and if it’s safe to do so, move your car to the side of the road to allow traffic to continue uninterrupted. South Carolina law requires drivers to make a reasonable effort to move disabled vehicles and vehicles involved in an accident to the side of the road in order not to obstruct traffic.
Call the Police
For very minor fender benders, it’s not necessary to call the police, but you might want to do so anyway. Call the police if the accident results in bodily injury, fatality, or significant property damage. Police reports are generally not allowed as evidence in a courtroom if a case goes to trial. But attorneys and people working at the drivers’ insurance companies may take police reports into consideration when determining a settlement offer.
Exchange Information with the Other Driver(s)
Parties involved in the accident should exchange names, contact information, and information regarding insurance with each other.
Take Pictures of the Scene
Get out your phone or camera and take photos of the vehicles involved in the accident, the road and surroundings, damaged property, injuries, and anything else you think is important. This evidence can be extremely helpful for investigators, insurance adjusters, and attorneys involved in the case later.
Call an Attorney
An experienced personal injury attorney can help you build a strong case in order to get the compensation you deserve after being injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault. Many personal injury attorneys, including the personal injury attorneys at The Carolina Law Group, offer a free consultation with no strings attached. An experienced car accident attorney can help you start building a strong case from Day 1. Even if you’re not sure about working with a lawyer, there’s no obligation and you have nothing to lose.
Injured in a Car Accident? Contact the Car Attorneys at The Carolina Law Group
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in South Carolina, you need an experienced attorney to help you with your case. The car accident lawyers at The Carolina Law Group have helped South Carolina drivers injured through no fault of their own fight for their rights and get the compensation they deserve. Call us today at one of the numbers below to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today.
The Carolina Law Group has four offices in South Carolina for your convenience: Greenville (principal office; call 864.312.4444), Greer (principal office; call 864.757.5555), Spartanburg (principal office; call 864.312.4444) & West Columbia (principal office; call 803.881.1110).
Call us at one of our four offices or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with one of our attorneys. Our business hours are Monday – Thursday 8:30am – 5:30pm & Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm. Weekend and evening hours by appointment only. Our Greenville, SC law firm offers Spanish, Hindi, and Gujarati language translation services for your convenience.