After a pedestrian accident, the last thing you want to worry about is collecting evidence and getting information from others—but what you do in an accident can help not only keep you safe but protect your legal rights. That is why after a Charleston pedestrian accident, you should consider doing the following:
Contact 911
After a pedestrian accident, you need to call 911 immediately. This is not only the quickest way to get your accident on record and alert the police of the incident, but it is also the fastest way to notify emergency medical crews that you or someone else at the scene needs medical attention. Once the police get to the location, they can investigate the incident and write down their findings in their police report. This report can serve as valuable evidence if you decide to pursue legal action following this accident.
Collect Evidence From the Scene
Generally, following a pedestrian accident, you likely will not be able to collect much evidence from the crash because of the debilitating injuries that tend to follow these accidents. However, if it is possible, you should try to take as many photos and videos of the crash scene as you can—including pictures of the cars involved, your visible injuries, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, skid marks on the street, traffic signals near the area, and any other evidence that can show what happened.
Yet, if your injuries prevent you from getting this evidence, do not worry. After you retain an experienced Charleston pedestrian accident lawyer, these legal professionals can try to gather all of this information on your behalf.
Get Driver Details
Try to get information from all those involved in the accident, including names, contact details, insurance information, and driver’s license numbers. However, as you talk to these individuals, make sure you watch what you say. This means you want to avoid making any definitive statements about the incident, apologizing for anything that occurred, or taking the blame for what happened. These comments can come back and hurt your case, often impacting the amount of money you can receive.
Get Witness Information
If there were people present at the scene, who saw the accident, get their names and contact information. These witnesses can often provide your lawyer with helpful information regarding the accident, as well as help back up your claim.