When you are reeling from a sudden, severe injury caused by a car or truck, you may not know what to do next. If you are badly hurt (such as broken bones, a spinal cord injury, or a traumatic brain injury) and hospitalized, your medical treatment and recovery are your priorities. Not knowing what the future might hold, you will benefit from advice from a lawyer who can provide much-needed objective insight and guidance for the road ahead. The lawyers at Mann Lawyers advise Ottawa and Eastern Ontario accident victims on the important next steps following accidental injury.
A car accident claim is a complex legal process, and a lawyer from Mann Lawyers will help you gain access to the full range of benefits you need to recover. In addition to no-fault benefits, in cases of severe injury, we may recommend that you to file a lawsuit against the driver who caused your injury. In order to prepare a strong legal claim on your behalf, we collect evidence of how your accident happened, including police reports and witness statements. We may need to hire an accident reconstruction expert to visit the accident scene to take pictures and measurements. The sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can start investigating what happened.
Even after a minor collision it can be hard to think clearly so you need to know what to do and what questions to ask in advance just in case you are ever involved in a collision. Knowing what to do at the scene of a collision will help you stay calm and ensure that you get the information your lawyer may need.
Here are some “do’s” and “don’ts” to remember if you are involved in a collision:
Do:
- Stay calm. Others involved in the accident may be in shock or experiencing severe anxiety. You should try to be the calming influence at the scene.
- Check with each of your passengers to see if anyone is injured or requires medical attention.
- If you can, turn on your hazard lights.
- If it is safe to exit your vehicle and you are able to do so, check with the passengers of any other vehicle(s) involved to see if anyone is injured or requires medical attention.
- Put out flares and / or warning triangles.
- Call 911 to report the accident, the extent of the damage, and if anyone requires medical attention.
- Request that the police attend the scene if there are any injuries or if there is more than $2,000 in damage. If you suspect that another driver has broken the law in some way (such as driving while impaired) then you are required to call the police.
- If the vehicles can be driven safely, move them off the road to allow traffic to pass.
- Exchange information with the other driver(s) involved. You need to get:
- names,
- addresses,
- phone numbers,
- licence numbers,
- insurance company name and policy number.
- Get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
- Make a record of what anyone else says at the scene which may be relevant to determining how the collision occurred.
- Take photographs of the accident scene, including the people involved, the vehicles, the road conditions, and any other important details.
- If the police prepare a report, read it carefully and point out any errors in it before signing it.
- Get the officer’s business card with their name, badge number and contact information.
- If your car is towed from the scene, get the name, location and contact information of the towing company.
Don’t:
- Move anyone who is injured, as movement may aggravate an injury. You can cover them with towels or blankets then wait for paramedics to arrive.
- Stand on the road to talk to the other driver(s) or look at the vehicle damage.
- Accept an offer from the other driver to pay for the damage to your vehicle.
- Argue with other drivers, passengers or witnesses. Keep conversations short and factual.
- Take responsibility for the collision.
- Sign statements in which you acknowledge being at fault for the accident.
- Promise to pay for damage to another vehicle.
As your advocates, we do more than just work to secure you appropriate compensation. We connect you to the right medical professionals and rehabilitation therapists to ensure that your recovery is as quick and successful as possible. During your period of rehabilitation, we work to secure the financial resources you need to support yourself and your family when you are unable to continue with your employment.