WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF
AN ACCIDENT
If
you are involved in an automobile accident and
the collision is the fault of the other driver,
the following are some guidelines you should
follow:
1.
Assist the injured: If someone is
injured, call for help. Make the injured
person comfortable, but do not move them.
2.
Insist on a police investigation:
In many cases, there are no witnesses, and the
other driver will have a different version of the
accident. A police report can help
establish the exact cause of the accident.
3.
Do not move your vehicle: Unless
your vehicle poses an immediate hazard to
traffic, it is important that your car stay in
the same position until the police officer has a
chance to examine it.
4.
If you are injured, tell the police
officer: If you fail to mention your
injuries to the police officer, it may create
suspicion later in the mind of the insurance
adjuster.
5.
Obtain the name, telephone number and address of
witnesses: Immediately look for
eyewitnesses before they leave the scene and get
their telephone number and address.
6.
Obtain medical treatment: If you are
injured, obtain medical treatment
immediately. An injury may become
substantially worse if not treated, and an
adjuster will question the seriousness of a claim
if it did not require immediate medical
treatment.
7.
Do not try to settle your own claim: An
attorney will be able to obtain substantially
more compensation for your than will be offered
by an adjuster, even after payment of your
attorney's fees. Never sign a release and
settlement of your claim without the advice of
legal counsel.
8.
Do not give a statement to any insurance
adjuster: If you are going to hire an
attorney, do not make any statements to any
adjuster (even your own) without going through
the attorney first. You may seriously
prejudice your case without even knowing it.
9.
Disclose all previous accidents to your attorney:
Your attorney cannot adequately represent you
unless you have provided him with all information
regarding past injuries.
Our firm consist of three lawyers,
Peter W. Mogren, Ronald E. Glessner, and Ruth
A. Roti. Our emphasis is in family law,
wills and probate, and personal injury.
Please click on the topics above for details
about these areas of practice, including
divorce, legal separation, property division,
child support, spousal maintenance, parenting
plans, modifications, paternity, adoption,
wills, Community Property Agreements, Durable
Power of Attorney, and probate.
Our firm is conveniently located in
Renton, King County, Washington, just off the
freeway at the intersection of I-405 and
I-167. Our attorneys represent clients
throughout the State of Washington, including
the communities of Renton, Kent, Tukwila,
Seattle, Bellevue, Auburn, Maple Valley,
Federal Way, Des Moines, Burien, SeaTac,
Enumclaw and most of south King County.
The free information contained in
these pages is not
intended to be legal advice, and does not
create an attorney-client relationship. You
should always consult with an attorney before
taking any action.
