If You Are Injured

Whenever you have been injured it is extremely important that you take steps to protect yourself. If you have a valid personal injury claim, you should make every effort to preserve you rights.

***** DISCLAIMER *****

The information contained on this website is intended only to be general information and should not be relied upon in making decisions regarding your case. An attorney-client relationship with David Groner, P.L.C. can only be established after consultation with one of our attorneys and agreement to the terms of your representation.

After you have been injured and your immediate medical needs are taken care of, you should take the following steps:

Obtain General Information

Write down the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all persons involved and all persons who witnesses the accident

Copy down the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved in the accident and vehicles which may have been close enough to the accident for the occupants to have witnessed the accident.

Get the insurance information from the opposing driver, that is, Write down the insurance company name, policy number and named insured for the persons and vehicles involved in the accident.
Obtain a SR-10 form from the police officer who is assigned to the accident and promptly complete it and return it to the address provided.
Get the name and badge number of the police officer(s) assigned on the case.

Get photographs and other physical evidence

Take pictures of the accident scene and the vehicles or other things involved in the accident.
Don't just take one or two. Take many photographs and from many different angles. Your attorney will decide which photos are appropriate.
Make sure you take pictures of the surrounding area and the road. There may have been a defect in the road which contributed to the accident.
Make sure you take pictures of the skid marks if any.

If you or anyone else sustained a visible injury such as a bruise, cut or scrape, take a picture of the injuries.

It is a good idea to always carry a disposable 35mm camera in your vehicle at all times.

Store all items of physical evidence in a safe place. If the evidence is perishable, such as food, store the items in a plastic bag and put the bag in a freezer.
If you were involved in a slip and fall accident, preserve your shoes and other clothing by sealing them in a plastic bag. Do not wash your clothes or you may destroy valuable evidence.

Things you should NOT do after an accident

DO NOT give statements to insurance company employees unless your attorney advises you to do so. If you have a policy with an insurance company, you may be required to report any accident in which you may be involved. However DO NOT allow the insurance company to record your conversation. Just explain how the accident happened and give a brief description of the accident.

DO NOT admit that you may have been at fault in the accident. Fault is determined by a court of law.

DO NOT state that you have not been injured. You may have been injured and the symptoms will not appear immediately.