Recording Details of Accident Scenes are Valuable in Proving Injury Claims

As reported in Global News, a man from Vancouver Island crashed his car into a power pole at 60km/h in the wee hours of the morning on January 11, 2015. The man, Andrew MacDonald, was trapped in his car until firefighters arrived at the scene. Despite his injuries, MacDonald was able to keep calm, and remarkably recorded his rescue with his mobile phone.

A car accident, whether involving another vehicle or not, is a shocking and stressful experience. The fact that MacDonald was able to keep calm and record his rescue is an outlier.

In the event that you find yourself involved in a car accident, try to remain calm and collected, and be aware of as much of your surroundings as possible, as MacDonald was. Experienced personal injury lawyers will tell you that having a good recollection of the details of the accident could turn out to be invaluable to the injury claims process afterwards. For your own welfare, as well as to aid your accident claim, try to make note of the following after an accident:

Check for Injuries

Quickly check yourself and any passengers in your car for injuries. Once you deem that everyone is alright, check the driver and passengers of the other vehicle. If anyone has been injured, immediately call 911 and request medical assistance.

It is important to monitor yourself for a few days after the accident as some injuries may not manifest for a few days after the accident.

Gather Contact Information

If you can, get the names and contact information of the other drivers who may have been involved in the accident, and the information of those who witnessed the accident.

Record Details Including Taking Pictures or Videos

Take photos (or videos) of the scene, and even of your injuries. Keep a diary of how you feel and the treatments you undergo as you recover from your injuries. Having a reliable record is important to support your claims from ICBC or other insurance companies later on.

Report the Accident

Whether or not the accident was your fault, you should call ICBC and report the accident. Their line is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. A representative will ask you for information, such as when and where the accident occurred, license plate numbers, and insurance details, so be sure to have them ready when you make the call.

Once you are done with these steps, it’s time to look for a trusted personal injury lawyer in Victoria like one from League & Williams. Ideally, you should speak to a lawyer before you provide any statements to ICBC. This way, you can protect your rights and ensure you are able to maximize the coverage you are entitled to. This is especially important if you sustained an injury from the accident, or are seeking claims to cover repair costs.

Have a question about this topic or a different legal topic? Contact us for a free consultation. Reach us via phone at 250-888-0002, or via email at info@leaguelaw.com.

(Source: B.C. man films his own rescue following car crash; Global News; February 25, 2015)