If you are like most people, you have been involved in a collision at some point in your life in NJ or another state. Maybe you were the driver of a vehicle involved in a car crash. Maybe you were a passenger injured in an accident. No matter what happened or how many vehicle accidents you have been in, it is still a scary, stressful situation.
Below are questions that our lawyers are frequently asked about car wrecks. We hope that this will provide some assistance to you to help keep you calm if the situation arises. If you would like to speak further about the facts of your accident, please call us at 609-890-2525.
Q: What should I do if I am involved in an auto accident?
A: The most important thing to do is stay calm. Call the police by dialing 911 on your cell phone or ask someone else in the area to call the police. The police will take care of speaking with all parties involved in the accident and determining insurance information for each vehicle involved in the accident.
If there is someone who witnessed the accident other than the drivers of the cars involved in the accident, write down the name, address and telephone number of the witnesses. DO NOT rely on the police to do this. As attorneys, we frequently review police reports that are missing valuable witness information.
Q: Should I move my car?
A: If you have called the police to come to the accident scene, do not move your car until the police arrive and assist you in safely moving your car.
Q: What if I am not at fault for the accident and the other driver involved in the accident does not want me to call the police?
A: If you are injured or have sustained property damage to your car, you should call the police to the scene of the accident to make a police report. Our law firm speaks with individuals each week who were involved in a NJ motor vehicle accident where there is no record of the collision because the at-fault driver talked the innocent victim into not calling the police. Do not make a bad situation worse by not protecting yourself. Call the police.
Q: What if I decide not to call the police? What information should I get from the other driver?
A: If you are injured or sustained property damage to your vehicle as the result of someone else’s fault, we strongly recommend that you contact the police. However, if you decide not to, you must get the following information from the other driver
- Insurance information of other car(s) involved in the accident, including the name of the insurance carrier, the policy number and who the insured is.
- License plate number of other car(s) involved in the accident.
- Make and model of other car(s) involved in the accident.
- Name, address and telephone number of person driving the other car(s) involved in the accident.
- Color of other car(s) involved in the accident.
- Witness name, address and telephone number.
