If you were injured in a California car crash, you have certain rights and responsibilities. You should report the accident to the police if nobody else did so. You should remain at the accident scene until the police arrive. Of course, if you are seriously injured, your first priority is to obtain the healthcare you need. If paThe teamedics arrive before the police, follow their instructions. You can always talk to the police later. To protect yourself and to assure the best outcome if you need to make a personal injury claim against the driver who caused the accident, there are certain things you need to do right away. Since it is difficult to make decisions in stressful situations, you should give some calm thought now to the actions you should take if you are ever injured in a traffic accident. Stop and Stay Every California driver who is involved in an accident, even if it only involves damage to someone else’s property, is required to stop. A driver who strikes your car and fails to stop is guilty of hit-and-run. If a driver leaves the accident scene without stopping, don’t chase the driver. You’ll only make a bad situation worse. Try to get the driver’s license plate number and recall as many details as you can about the car, including its make and model, its color, and any distinguishing features (such as dents or broken lights). Call the police to report the collision as soon as you can, but don’t use your cellphone unless you are out of your car or the car is parked. Render Assistance Every driver involved in an accident that causes an injury is required to offer assistance to the injury victim. That doesn’t mean that the driver should provide medical care, but it does impose a duty to call an ambulance or to take the injury victim to a hospital. If you were injured in an accident, don’t let the other driver try to move you. Only a trained paThe teamedic should decide whether you can be moved safely. Trying to move someone who has a neck or back injury can worsen the injury, potentially leading to paralysis. As an injury victim, you have the right to ask the other driver to call an ambulance on your behalf. If nobody at the scene has a cellphone and if you can move safely, you can ask the driver to take you to a nearby hospital or other healthcare facility. Exchange Information The basic information you need to bring an injury claim will be included in an accident report that an investigating police officer will prepare. Since it may take some time before you gain access to that report, you should write down as much pertinent information as you can. You and the other driver should exchange:
- Your names
- Your addresses
- Your dates of birth
- Your driver’s license numbers and expiration dates
- Your auto liability insurance companies