What To Do After a Car Accident in Houston
There are few scenarios more stressful than a car accident. At worst, you may encounter extreme and life-threatening conditions such as fire, severe weather, high-speed traffic, and serious injuries. Even in less serious accidents, you may still need to navigate tense conversations with other drivers, law enforcement, and insurance companies, who will often attempt to place the blame on you or unfairly deny your settlement.
In the sections below, our Houston car accident lawyers will detail the steps you’ll need to take following an accident, starting from the moment the accident takes place through the claims-filing process.
What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident
The first and most important step following a car accident is to prioritize your safety and the safety of other drivers and bystanders. If you’re able to do so, pull your car over to the shoulder away from oncoming traffic and check to make sure the other driver is okay. If there are any serious injuries, immediately call 911 and request an ambulance. If there are only very minor injuries or no injuries at all, you are usually still legally obligated to call the non-emergency police line to report the accident.
When law enforcement officers arrive on the scene, they will interview both you and the other driver, as well as any eyewitnesses who may have seen the accident take place, in order to file a traffic report. Make sure to answer their questions honestly, but be careful not to offer any information or statements that could be used against you when it’s time to file an insurance claim. This includes apologizing to the driver or saying things like, “I didn’t stop in time,” or “I never saw them.”
Traffic reports are typically fairly thorough, but if it’s safe to do so, you’ll also want to document the accident site independently to build a more comprehensive insurance claim. Take as many pictures as you can of both vehicles, your injuries, skidmarks, businesses located near the accident site, weather conditions, and anything else that might provide details of how and where the accident took place. Additionally, make sure to exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved, as well as any witnesses at the scene.
Steps to Take After Leaving the Accident Scene
If you didn’t receive emergency medical attention at the accident site, you should see a doctor as soon as possible in the days or weeks following the accident, even if your injuries feel minor. Many serious car accident injuries do not immediately present symptoms. At first, you may only notice minor neck or back pain, headaches, or bruising, but a medical evaluation could reveal more serious conditions such as concussions or spinal injuries.
You should also notify your auto insurance provider promptly, even if you were not at fault. Most Texas auto insurance policies require timely reporting of any accident. This step is important to meet your policy obligations and avoid potential complications with coverage under your own policy.
Additionally, request a copy of the police report from the Houston Police Department. The report contains important details about the accident, including statements from involved parties and witnesses, and can be used to support your insurance claim if needed.
When to Contact a Houston Car Accident Lawyer
Not every car accident requires a lawyer. If the accident was minor and did not result in injuries, you may be able to handle the claim on your own. But if you’ve been injured, it’s important to speak with a car accident attorney as soon as possible. You may be eligible to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company through a personal injury claim. However, these claims are rarely straightforward. They often involve challenges such as:
- Disputes over fault: Texas law allows you to recover compensation even if you are partially at fault, but your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies know this and will often try to unfairly assign blame to you to justify paying you less than you deserve.
- Incomplete settlements: Your settlement should account for all of your damages, including medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, and other financial and non-financial losses. Insurers’ initial settlement offers are often much lower than what your claim is worth.
- Accessing evidence and witnesses: Gathering accident reports, medical records, witness statements, and other evidence is essential to building your case. However, certain evidence can be difficult to secure on your own, especially when you are still recovering from your injuries.
Your attorney can also handle communication with the insurance company, ensuring your statements are not misinterpreted and helping to protect the full value of your claim. By involving a lawyer early, you can focus on your recovery while a legal professional works to secure the compensation you need to move forward.
Common Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Crash in Houston
Now that we have a good understanding of the general steps to take following an accident, let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes that car accident victims may make that could put their safety or claim at risk:
Leaving the accident site before exchanging information
While some very minor car accidents may not require the involvement of law enforcement or insurance, this is incredibly rare. If there are any injuries or visible damage to your vehicle, it’s not only in your best interest to call the police to the accident site, but failing to do so may even be a felony. Even if you decide not to call the police, you’ll still want to get the other driver’s contact and insurance information in case either of you decides to pursue a claim later on.
Making statements that harm your claim
Following a car accident, it’s only human that you may want to apologize to the other driver or downplay the seriousness of your injuries, but these types of statements, and others like them, can significantly harm your chance of receiving a fair settlement. Be extremely conscious of anything you say to the other driver, law enforcement, or insurance throughout the process, and when in doubt, relay all communications through your lawyer.
Delaying medical care
As we’ve discussed, even if you feel fine immediately after the accident, it’s essential that you confirm that you have no hidden injuries through a medical evaluation. This is not only a safety concern; delaying medical treatment can give insurance companies an excuse to argue that your injuries are not related to the accident or are not as serious as you claim.
Posting about the crash online
When something as traumatic as a car accident happens in our lives, it’s only natural to want to reach out to friends and family for support. However, some car accident victims make the mistake of doing this online through social media. Unfortunately, this is often one of the first places that insurance adjusters look if they’re investigating a claim, and if they decide that what they find contradicts the statements made in your claim, it may result in your claim being unfairly denied or undervalued.
Key Steps At-a-Glance
- Dial 911 at the accident site if there are any visible injuries. If not, dial the non-emergency police line to report the accident.
- If safe to do so, document the accident site by taking pictures or videos of your injuries, damage to the vehicle, and the surrounding area.
- Get a medical evaluation if you did not receive emergency services at the crash site.
- Report the accident to your insurance company.
- Contact a lawyer to review your legal options.
Learn How The Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec Can Help
Unfortunately, car accidents are incredibly sudden and unexpected, and it’s far from uncommon for victims to be unprepared or inexperienced with handling their own claim. To those without a legal background, this process can be extremely taxing and stressful, especially if you’re dealing with painful or limiting injuries and stubborn or invasive insurance companies that make every step harder.
Our firm can make this process much smoother. For over thirty years, The Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec has dedicated our practice to protecting the rights of car accident victims and helping them receive the compensation they deserve. We encourage you to contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your options. Our Houston car accident lawyers will start by reviewing and collecting evidence related to your accident and building a case to present to the insurance company. If, during settlement negotiations, we are unable to recover what you are owed, we are prepared to take your claim to court and explore every available option on your behalf.
