If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you may be wondering how to proceed to best protect your rights. To do so, the first step is knowing what exactly those rights are.
Call 911: You have the right to file an official police report about the accident. Colorado law requires that accidents must be reported if they result in personal injury or death or cause any property damage. The police report is usually a key piece of evidence to support a personal injury claim.
Talking to witnesses: If you can, you should talk to any witnesses to the car accident and ask for their name and contact information. You can also ask them to write down what they saw or direct them to talk to the police directly.
Documenting the accident: If you can, take pictures of the accident scene, and the damage to your vehicle as well as the other vehicle(s) involved. If anyone was injured, take photos of the injuries.
Remaining silent: While you should exchange basic contact and insurance information with the other driver and cooperate with the police, you are under no obligation to discuss the circumstances of the accident with other parties. You should avoid making statements that could have adverse legal consequences and resist the urge to post your version of what happened on social media.
You also have the right to legal assistance and representation. Call us at 855.637.1268 to receive a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced car accident attorney. We are available 24/7 and will fight hard on your behalf.
After an accident, remind yourself not to apologize to anyone. You may feel the need to express sympathy and say “I’m sorry”, but the other driver or the insurance company may use it as an admission of fault. You have no obligation to talk to an insurance company until you are ready. In case you are pressed to make a statement, you can say something like, "Before I give any official statements, I need to speak with my personal injury attorney."