7 Things to Do After an Auto Accident in Bakersfield

If you are involved in an auto accident in Bakersfield, there are some things that are critical before contacting the Bakersfield Auto Accident Attorneys at Faulkner Law Offices:

1. Stay Calm. Be sure to keep a cool head and check to see if you or any other people involved are injured.
2. Call the Police. It is best to wait until the police arrive to exchange information and take statements from everyone involved. If you think that an ambulance is necessary, let the police know. Often, people do not feel the injuries immediately after a traffic collision and decide to either drive to the hospital themselves or see their primary care physician as soon as it is practicable. It is very common that people do not think they are injured directly after trauma because of the amount or adrenaline in their body.
   In many cases, there are people that have suffered serious injuries to their neck and back that they do not feel for 24 hours. That is because the injuries are caused to the soft tissues of the body. Soft tissue injuries are to the vertebral discs, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Anything that is not an injury to the bone like a fracture is considered a soft tissue injury. This is a lot like going to the gym and working out really hard and not feeling it until the next day not knowing that you may have caused a serious injury to your discs, tendons or ligaments. While you may feel fine directly after experiencing trauma, it is best to get checked out by a physician as soon as you can. There may be an underlying injury that can be very serious. This is especially true if there is any trauma to the head with a loss of consciousness.
3. Take Pictures of the Scene and Vehicles Involved. There is no such thing as taking too many pictures. When it is safe to do so, take as many pictures as you can with your phone or camera to document the damage to the vehicles, skid marks, injuries and the area where it took place.
4. Preserve any Video. Many people are installing Road Cameras in their cars and trucks. If you have do so and it captured the automobile collision, immediately preserve that video. If this is a very serious collision, be sure to inform the police of the video so that it can be preserved for evidence.
5. Exchange Information. If the police do not respond, or the people involved do not feel like a police response is necessary, be sure to exchange insurance and contact information. If the police do respond, be sure to get the police report number so you can order it later. It usually takes about 10 days for a law enforcement agency to complete their report.
6. Statements. Only make statements about fault or who caused the accident to the responding police. Do not make any statements to the other parties involved other than exchanging insurance and contact information. If there are witnesses, get their contact information.
7. Gather Information. Here is a list of the information you will need to gather.
   1. Accident Information:
      1. Date
      2. Time
      3. Locaton
      4. Weather and Road Conditions
      5. The name of the investigating officer and law enforcement agency
      6. The Police Report Number
      7. The Names of the People who were occupants of your car
      8. A brief description of the collision
   2. Other Driver and Vehicle Information
      1. The other driver’s name, address and phone number
      2. The other driver’s license number
      3. The license plate of the other vehicle
      4. the Year, Make and Model of the other vehicle
      5. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
      6. The Name of the other driver’s Insurance Company
      7. The Insurance Policy Number
   3. Witnesses
      1. Names, Addresses and Phone Numbers of all witnesses
      2. If possible, an alternate contact phone number and person as many people change their cell phone numbers often.

Nobody ever expects that they are going to be involved in a Bakersfield Auto Accident, but if you are, it is best to contact an experienced Bakersfield Auto Accident Attorney as soon as possible for a free consultation. Call the Bakersfield Car Accident Attorneys at Faulkner Law Offices at (661) 327-0601 so we can help you and your family recover for that harms and injuries that you have suffered.

Our office is located in Bakersfield and we limit our practice to helping injured people in the Bakersfield and Kern County area. Faulkner Law Offices has helped injured people and their families in Bakersfield and Kern County for the last 42 years since 1974. We are proud of our community and our people and strive to improve community safety for everyone.