What to do before leaving the scene of a car crash

After a North Carolina car crash, there are certain steps you may want to take to help protect your interests and potentially strengthen your case if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim. Once you leave the scene of the crash, there are limits to what you might be able to do. So, the more you understand about what to do in the immediate aftermath of the wreck, the better.

Of course, the first thing you should do following a North Carolina car crash is take inventory of those in your vehicle and assess whether there are any serious injuries. After doing so, you may want to take these other important steps.

File a report

You want to make sure to file a report of the crash even if authorities are unable to come to the scene. That way, you have a record of what happened, which you need to make your insurance claim. Filing a report may also help you if other drivers involved in the car wreck decide to file a claim against you.

Document the scene and driver information in photos

You need to secure the personal and insurance information of everyone involved in the incident. A cellphone is a great way to do so. Snap photos of the other driver’s license and vehicle. You may also want to take multiple photos of the crash scene, taking care to document any damage to vehicles or conditions that may have contributed to the crash.

If your crash was the result of another driver’s road rage, you may want to wait for authorities to arrive at the scene before confronting or talking to the offending driver.