Take These Steps If You’ve Been in a Car Accident in Oregon
A car accident is a terrifying and incredibly stressful event, especially when injury or death occurs as a result. Even a minor incident on the road can create long-term financial and emotional consequences, as dealing with the complex legal and medical paperwork can feel overwhelming, especially after you’ve suffered a traumatic experience. After a car accident, your main focus should be recovery, yet the police, DMV, insurance companies, and medical institutions will all be making demands for more information.
Our Oregon-based legal firm, Warren Allen LLP, is here to help. While we can’t make the accident itself any less stressful, we can help you navigate the steps you need to take so you can minimize some of the chaos and confusion in its aftermath. If you’ve experienced a car accident in Oregon, we offer legal advice and representation .
As soon as possible after an accident has occurred, follow this guide to ensure a smooth return to normalcy.
Seek Medical Attention as Soon as Possible
The first priority after any car accident is to see to the health and safety of the people involved. If any injuries or fatalities have occurred, call 911 immediately. In severe accidents, emergency medical care may be required. If emergency services are called to the scene, heed their instructions and ensure that everyone affected by the accident receives the appropriate care. Note that it is not always obvious when an injury has occurred. Symptoms may sometimes manifest themselves days or even weeks later, particularly as the adrenaline caused by a traumatic event may mask pain and discomfort.
Even if there aren’t clear signs of an injury, you and anyone else involved in the accident should see a medical professional as soon as possible. Not only will this allow any problems to be addressed before they become more serious, but it will also help to ensure that any diagnoses that are made can be directly linked to the crash. If you wait too long, you may have difficulty proving your injuries were caused by the accident should any legal action need to be taken.
Obtain Insurance Information
The next task is to obtain insurance information for all parties involved in the accident. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, this may or may not be a simple matter, but it’s important to get it sorted out at the scene, if possible. Exchange insurance information with the other driver (or drivers) involved. At the bare minimum, you’ll need a name, phone number, and the name and phone number of their insurance company. You should also take note of some basic details about the cars involved, including the makes, models, and license plate numbers.
Follow Up Afterwards if Necessary
Of course, it isn’t always as simple as just trading information at the scene. If a hit and run occurred, or if the injuries involved were too great to discuss paperwork details before an injured party left by ambulance, then you may need to follow up afterward to get the information you need. Typically, this can be done by checking the police report from the accident scene or contacting the DMV.
Document the Scene – Including Photos
After an accident, you will likely need to file an insurance claim, and you may eventually choose to seek legal counsel as well. In both cases, it’s important to be able to provide as much information as possible from the scene, so ensure that you have clear documentation, if you can.
Part of this will include your statement as a witness, so try to recall as many details as you can in the moment, including the exact location and time of the accident, the weather, the state of the roads, and so on. Write down everything you remember, including the circumstances leading up to the accident and its immediate aftermath. Get information from anyone else who was in the vehicle or may have witnessed the accident as well.
If you can do so safely, you should also compile photographic documentation of the accident scene. Take pictures of the damage to the vehicles as soon as possible after it has occurred, as well as the surrounding area, including the road conditions. How is each car positioned? Are there any hazards nearby? Is the road wet or icy? The better you can paint a clear photographic picture, the more help you can provide to the authorities, insurance companies, and if necessary, your legal team.
File a Police Report
In some cases, the police will be called to the scene of an accident to assist. In other cases, however, you may need to contact them after the fact to file a report. After a less serious car accident in Oregon, police departments have non-emergency numbers you can call, which should be done as soon as possible to ensure a timely report is made. In the state of Oregon, you are legally required to make a report if an injury or death occurs or if more than $2,500 of property damage has taken place.
Notify Your Own Insurer
Your own insurance company will also need to receive thorough documentation of the accident so that you can collect any damages you may be entitled to. The information you have collected should be submitted to them, particularly any photographic evidence. Your insurance company will also need records of any damage to your vehicle or any medical costs that have been incurred.
Seek Legal Counsel
In any situation involving police, insurance companies, and potential lawsuits, it can be to your benefit to have legal representation on your side. Without the help of a legal professional, you may not be aware of your rights in the situation or the risk of litigation or charges you may be facing. A dedicated legal counsel can also help ensure you receive the maximum insurance payout or other compensation you may be entitled to.To help you navigate the complexities of Oregon law, contact us at Warren Allen LLP. We’ll go to work to help you recover legally and financially from this traumatic experience.
