St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer: Top 10 step after a car accident

Since 1959, a St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer at the Mueller Law Practice has provided caring and professional personal injury legal advice in Missouri and Illinois. We represent working people and families whose lives have been changed after serious injury in an accident or injury. We have over 80 years of combined personal injury experience.

Call an experienced St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer: 314.962.5100

1. Don’t Leave the Scene

If your car is involved in an accident and you don’t stop, you may be subject to criminal prosecution. Leave your car as close as possible to the place of impact without obstructing traffic.

2. Aiding the injured

If someone is injured, give first aid if you are qualified and call for an ambulance. Remember to note the location of the accident before you call for an ambulance. Tell the ambulance dispatcher the name and number of the street as well as the direction in which the cars were traveling at the time of the accident.

3. Protecting the scene

Protect the scene of the accident to avoid additional collisions. Do not allow your car to obstruct the road if it can be moved. Warn approaching cars by raising the hood of your car and using your car’s hazard warning lights. For nighttime accidents, place flares or reflectors on the road.

4. Call the police

Call the police, particularly if someone has been injured. A police report of the accident will help your insurance claim and any liability claims. Ask the officer how to get a copy of the accident report and note the officer’s name and badge number. Consult your lawyer and insurance agent before pleading guilty to any traffic offense.

5. Exchanging information with the other driver

Exchange information with the driver of the other car. You should get the following information:

Other drivers – name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, name of insurance company and policy number.
Passengers – name, address, and phone number.
Witnesses – name, address, and phone number.
Owner (if not the driver) – name address, phone number, insurance company and policy number.
Make notes about the time of day, weather conditions, road conditions, streetlights, and length of skid marks. Also, make a diagram of the accident noting the location of the vehicles, cross walks, stop signs and traffic signals. If you hit a parked car and can’t find the owner, leave a note with your name, address, and a summary of the accident.

6. Do not admit responsibility

When you exchange information with the other driver and give facts to the police, don’t admit responsibility for the accident. Things that you say can be used against you if there is litigation. You may think that you were responsible for the accident and later learn that the other driver caused it or that the other driver was equally at fault.

7. Towing your car

Before you allow a tow truck driver to pick up your car, be sure to ask the driver how much it will cost and tell the driver where to take your car. Get the name, address, and telephone number of the driver and the towing company.

8. Seeing your doctor

Both you and your passengers should consider seeing a doctor after an accident. The doctor may recognize injuries, sometimes serious, that are not apparent to you. The charges for a doctor visit and medical treatment may be covered by your insurance. Don’t settle claims from the accident until your doctor has advised you about the extent of your injuries.

9. Notifying your insurance agent

Call your insurance agent as soon as possible after an accident. Your insurance company may have ground to deny coverage if you fail to give prompt notice of the accident. Follow up the phone call with a written notice and save a copy for your files. The written notice should contain information about the date, time and place of the accident, with the names and addresses of the other drivers, injured persons, passengers, and witnesses. If you were at fault, your liability insurance should pay for any injuries or property damages. If the other driver is at fault, but does not have insurance, your insurance may pay for damages to your car (collision coverage) and even for your pain and suffering (if you have uninsured motorist coverage).

10 Call a St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer

Call a St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer as soon as possible since witnesses may forget the details of the accident. Your St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer should counsel you on how to respond to questions from insurance adjusters and help you recover compensation for your personal injuries and damages to your car.

Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer who cares

Don’t settle for less because an insurance company is trying to wear you down. We level the playing field and fight to get you fair compensation.

If you have been involved in a St Louis Personal Injury Accident, contact a St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer at the Mueller Law Practice. An experienced St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer will be able to get you the recovery you deserve.

If you have suffered an accident or injury, call a St Louis Personal Injury Lawyer at the Mueller Law Practice, LLC, for a free case evaluation: (314) 421-4441. Speak with live attorney about your claim. Evenings and Weekends: (314) 962-5100.

We offer free phone consultations 24/7, and no fees or costs. At the Mueller Law Practice, we listen to you.

Serving Missouri and Illinois. Learn more: 314.421.4441.