What To Do After a Louisiana Car Accident

While the old saying, “The best medicine is prevention,” is true most of the time, that’s not really possible when it comes to car accidents. No one plans to be involved in a car accident, and yet over 3 million accidents happen every year across the country.

If a car accident happens to you, keep calm and remember the following steps. You will get through this, and with the help of a competent car accident injury lawyer, you can get the compensation you need to move on with your life.

Get out of Danger

Before anything else after a car accident, you need to make sure that you, your passengers, and anyone else involved in the car accident are okay. If you can, move your car away from traffic lanes, or move away from immediate danger. If anyone seems to be badly hurt, don’t move them or else you risk injuring them further.

Call First Responders

No matter how minor the accident, call 911 for first responders’ help. The ambulance personnel will be able to assess your injuries and determine if you need further care, and the officer who arrives will make a detailed report.

This police report will serve as vital evidence in your car accident claim. It serves as the definitive report of what happened in your accident, so make sure you get a copy of the report.

If the medical personnel write a report of your injuries, make sure to ask them for that as well—it will serve as evidence of the bodily damages you suffered in the accident.

Document the Damages

After confirming the safety of everyone involved and calling the police and other first responders, you should start documenting the damage to your car and the other drivers. Keep the following in mind as you begin documentation:

• Do not provide a statement to the other party’s insurance, either verbal or written. If they ask, politely refuse.
  
  
• Do not admit fault or responsibility for the accident, even if you think you might’ve contributed to it. In fact, talk to the other party as little as possible, only exchanging driver and insurance information.

The only people you should speak to about the accident are the medical professionals and police who arrive at the scene, and your personal insurance representative after you leave.

However, before calling insurance, we recommend speaking with a lawyer to help you with your insurance claim. The experienced car accident lawyers with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys can provide you with a free and confidential consultation, so you can report your accident confidently.

After your car wreck, collect information from wherever you can, but be sure to stay out of the way of the professionals conducting the investigation or otherwise doing their jobs. A personal injury lawyer can be extremely helpful in collecting evidence and otherwise moving your case along.

To further facilitate your claim, you should collect specific documentation about your incident. If you can’t do it immediately after the wreck, try to as soon as you can afterward, or have someone else do it for you.

You’ll need the following details to file your claim:

• Information about what happened
  • Your version of events
  • Damages to all vehicles involved
  • Injuries sustained by yourself or your passengers
  • Evidence at the scene that will help prove what happened
    
    
• Information about the other driver’s car
  • The make, model, color, and license plate number
  • The vehicle registration number
    
    
• Information about the other driver
  • Their driver’s license number
  • Their name and phone number
    
    
• Information about the other driver’s insurance
  • Proof of insurance
  • Their insurance company’s name and phone number
  • Their insurance company policy number

Write everything down or otherwise document it—take pictures if you don’t have a pad of paper, or send a text message to yourself with the pertinent details.

You’ll also want to collect the following information, and document it for your later claim:

• Date and time of the accident
  
  
• Address (or approximate address or location) of the accident
  • If you’re in a wreck on the interstate or a rural road, include the mile markers you’re between and the direction of travel, as well as any landmarks you can see
    
    
• Your direction of travel, and the other driver’s
  
  
• Photos of the crash scene from multiple angles
  
  
• A detailed description of what happened
  • Write this down or record it using your phone. A recorded statement from the time of the accident will serve as vital evidence in your claim.
    
    
• Information about the driving conditions, weather, and other details of the environment of the crash
  
  
• Any witness names and their contact information
  
  
• The name, badge number, and contact information of police officers and other first responders at the scene

Report the Incident to Your Insurance Company

Call your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident to them and start the claims process. Remember, do not discuss the accident with the other party or their insurance company—they are not working in your best interest!

If your insurance company offers you a quick settlement, don’t accept it until you’ve spoken with an experienced car wreck injury lawyer. Insurance companies want to settle cases as quickly and cheaply as possible—but you’ll likely need more than the minimum to properly heal from your injuries.

Personal Injury Claims in Louisiana

For the best chance of success, you should contact a knowledgeable car wreck attorney with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys as soon as possible. Witnesses and evidence from the accident can disappear if you delay, weakening your case.

In 2024, Louisiana law extended the statute of limitations for personal injury claims occurring on or after July 1, 2024, from one year to two years. Any injuries that occurred before July 1, 2024, will still have a 1-year statute of limitation. Learn more about Louisiana’s New Statute of Limitations here.

• 1 year for injuries sustained before July 1, 2024.
• 2 years for injuries suffered after July 1, 2024.

Call an Experienced Car Wreck Attorney in Louisiana Today

An experienced lawyer can also efficiently handle all communications with insurance and other parties for you, leaving you the space you need to recuperate. If you’ve sustained a personal injury due to a car wreck, truck wreck, or other traffic accident, make sure to get the quality legal representation you deserve.

Call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys at 888.501.7888 or click the button below for a free consultation about your legal options. We’ll make sure you get the right legal representation to maximize your claim. And with the G Guarantee, we won’t charge you a dime until we win or settle your case.

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