Checklist: What to Do After a Car Accident in Oklahoma City

Knowing the right steps to take after a car accident can be tricky, especially if you’ve suffered serious injuries. While you might be entitled to an insurance company settlement for your injuries, repair costs, and other losses if the accident wasn’t your fault, it’s important to remember that your choices can support or damage your claim later.

Learn what to do after a car accident in Oklahoma City and discover the ways our Oklahoma City car accident lawyers at Colbert Cooper Hill Attorneys can help protect your rights.

☑ Remain at the Accident Scene

Stay at the scene of the accident. You might feel panicked and desperate to leave, but you should try to remain calm.

If you don’t: Leaving the scene of an accident could get you charged with a hit-and-run, plus your insurance claim may be outright denied.

☑ Dial 911

Call emergency services so police and paramedics can get to the scene as quickly as possible. Everyone involved in the accident should be seen by medical professionals, even if they don’t feel any serious pain at the moment.

If you don’t: Urgent injuries could get worse without immediate medical attention. You’d also be breaking the law: Oklahoma law also requires drivers to report any crash that results in any injury as soon as reasonably possible.

☑ Get Out of Harm’s Way

Vehicles should be moved out of the road if you’re able to safely do so, with your hazard lights turned on. The goal here is to prevent any further injuries or accidents with oncoming traffic. If you can’t move the vehicles, get yourself and others out of harm’s way to the best of your ability and wait for help to arrive.

If you don’t: You risk additional injuries and vehicle damage, and potentially more accident victims.

☑ Exchange Contact Info

Next, you should exchange information with the other driver. Getting name, contact details, driver’s license number, and insurance information is important. If they refuse to give you their information, the police can request it when they arrive on the scene.

If you don’t: You may not be able to track them down if they choose to flee the scene, which means you cannot file a car insurance claim against their insurance provider.

☑ Speak to Others at the Scene

Speak with any witnesses to the accident and see if they are willing to make a statement about what they saw. If so, get their contact information as well. Witness statements can be very useful to your case with the insurance company later on.

If you don’t: It may be your word against the other driver when it comes to determining fault. A witness can add credibility to your version of events.

☑ Get Information About the Police Report

After the police arrive, you should talk to the police officers about filing a report. Make sure you know which branch of law enforcement responded to your accident (state, county or city police) so you can follow up and get a copy of the report later. The accident report can serve as a valuable piece of evidence to support your claim, since it is treated as an objective account of who is at fault.

If you don’t: Without a copy of the police report, you may not be able to file a claim. Some insurance companies require the report as part of the insurance claim process. And as noted above, Oklahoma law requires you to report any crash that causes injuries.

RELATED: What to Do If You’ve Been Blamed for a Crash That Wasn’t Your Fault

☑ Document Everything

If you’re able to do so, document everything that happened at the scene of the accident exactly as you remember it, and in as much detail as possible. Take photos of your surroundings, any injuries, and the damage to the vehicles if you can. Get pictures from different distances and angles. Capture the license plate number of the other parties involved. The more evidence you can collect, the better.

If you don’t: You may be lacking valuable evidence to recreate the accident scene if you need to argue who is at fault or how much responsibility they bear.

☑ Seek Medical Treatment

Even if you don’t feel hurt, you should still seek medical care and get checked for any injuries. A doctor can help you understand what injuries may take hours or days to show up following an auto accident and help you watch for warning signs of serious problems. Follow their treatment plan as closely as possible so you can show you are taking your injuries seriously.

If you don’t: You may have a difficult time trying to get the at-fault driver’s insurance policy to cover the cost of your medical expenses. The insurance adjusters will argue that since you didn’t go to a doctor right away, your injuries are not serious or are not related to your car accident.

RELATED: I Didn’t Go to the Doctor After My Car Accident. Do I Still Have a Case?

☑ Call Your Insurance Company

As soon as you’re able, report the accident to your own insurance company. However, don’t try to tell your side of the story or exaggerate — just stick to the facts. The key here is to have the accident on record in the event that you need to rely on your insurance coverage.

You will likely start to get calls from the other driver’s insurance company. Remember that you aren’t obligated to speak with them and giving a recorded statement can be damaging to your case. It’s in your best interest to direct them to your attorney instead.

If you don’t: The longer you wait to make your claim, the more difficult the claims process may be.

RELATED: How to Deal With an Insurance Adjuster After a Car Accident in Oklahoma

☑ Keep Records

Save all medical records and medical bills as evidence for a potential insurance claim. You’ll also want to document repair costs for your vehicle, any communication between you and the insurance company, information about missing work due to the accident, and anything else that may be relevant to your case.

If you don’t: You may miss out on compensation that you rightfully deserve if another driver was at fault for your accident.

☑ Call Our Oklahoma City Car Accident Lawyers

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, get help from an Oklahoma City car accident lawyer at Colbert Cooper Hill Attorneys. There’s a reason we are known as The Wolf Pack™. We’re always ready to fight aggressively for your rights after a car accident that wasn’t your fault. We know all the tricks that insurance companies try to pull to avoid paying you the settlement you deserve.

We’ll remind the insurance companies that you’re the victim and fight for the FULL amount of compensation you deserve, so you can focus on getting better. All you have to do is give us a call at 405-218-9200 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation about your case. Let The Wolf Pack™ fight for you!