Talk to witnesses after a car accident

by | Oct 28, 2020 | Motor vehicle accidents

Often, people who get into car accidents aren’t even sure what happened. Maybe you’re driving through an intersection, for example. Suddenly, another car drives through on the cross street and hits you.

Instantly, you start asking questions. Did you really have the green light? You were absolutely sure that you did a minute ago, but now you’re questioning it. Were you speeding? Where did that car come from? Did you make a mistake?

You might have done absolutely nothing wrong. The reality is that the other driver just ran the red light and hit you. It happens all the time. But the key point to remember is that you may not even know for sure what took place or why the crash happened, and you were in it.

That’s why it’s good to talk to talk to any witnesses that you can find. It could be the driver behind you, the kids waiting to cross the street, the lady who was out walking her dog or the man who lives two houses down and was sitting on his porch. Any witnesses can help to provide more accounts of the wreck so that the picture of what happened becomes clear.

In today’s technology-based world, you may also want to see if any of the homes in the area have security cameras. Many people just have simple, low-cost video doorbells that click on with motion. Even if there aren’t actual witnesses at the scene, someone may have caught important information on video. That too can help you case.

Finally, take pictures of the scene if you’re able to do so. Get as much documentation as you can. Yes, it’s after the fact, but it can still help the police when they’re trying to determine what happened. If the crash wasn’t your fault, everything you do just helps to make their jobs easier.

That, in turn, can generate a police report that backs up your claims about who caused the crash. If you have costs like medical bills and lost wages, you may be able to seek compensation.

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