One of the most terrifying situations that you can be in is to be the injured victim of a car accident. When this occurs, you are disoriented, your body hurts and may be badly injured, and your spirit is at a low ebb. With all of this going on however, after an accident you have to do all you can to keep your mind clear because this is a critical time to think through whether what happened to you is due to the behavior and actions of another person. If the answer is yes, that might make that person or entity liable for financial damages that are payable to you.

Damages can come to you as compensatory damages which include payments for things like medical bills, pain, suffering, loss of work, and loss of function, and punitive damages which can be assessed if the person who caused the accident is found to have been extremely negligent or reckless or caused the accident on purpose.

In order to increase the chances of you receiving compensation, as soon as you are in a position to following the accident, here are a list of things that will help your car accident lawyer has success in your case and get you the largest settlement.

Call 911

A lot of times people see an accident and think that someone has called 911, so they do not do it. This can cause delays in the police and ambulance arriving on the scene. So to be sure simply call them again. If emergency services are in route the operator will tell you, but better safe than sorry. The 911 operator will ask you for as many details about the accident as possible to make sure the people coming to the accident are prepared for the situation.

Get the Other Driver’s Contact Details

As soon as you are able you or someone who you are with should get the other driver’s full name, address, phone number, license, license plate number, email address and insurance information.

Make a Record of Everything That Happened and That You See

You should use the time right after the accident to try and notate everything that happened regarding the accident. If you can write then write it down or use the video recorder on your phone to record it. You should also take video and pictures of everything and not leave out even the small details. Take pictures of the cars, street signs and roads where the accident occurred. Go over what you were doing when you were hit, what you saw and heard and the actions of the other drivers involved in the accident. You might even want to draw a diagram of the location where the accident occurred. This information is critical because often people will forget large details of the accident later and this information is a key piece of evidence in a car accident case. The police will also make a report and if your information lines up with that report it is very powerful evidence for your case.

Get Details of Any Witnesses You See

Ask if anyone saw the accident and ask for their details. You attorney can interview these people later which can be helpful for your case.

If you are too hurt to do any of these things on, the scene ask someone else that you know who may be able to do them. If you are alone when you are being treated in the hospital you can do these things. They will be very helpful with your car accident case.