If you have recently been in a car accident, you may be facing an overwhelming number of decisions about next steps that you need to take to protect yourself and your interests. Between medical visits, dealing with car repairs and contacting police and insurers, it can be easy to lose sight of the key steps that you should take after your accident.

While Virginia car crashes have been decreasing in recent years, a large number of Virginia residents are still involved in car accidents every year. In 2022, 122,000 car accidents occurred in Virginia. No matter how safely you drive, there is still always the risk that you could be involved in an accident. Here are some steps to take if this should occur:

• Stop and assess — If you are able to, you should always stop and assess your vehicle, yourself and any passengers after an accident. Stopping is required under Virginia law, even if you believe it was a minor crash. If possible, pull over or get yourself to a safe location away from oncoming traffic and assess if you’ve sustained any injuries, like a concussion, and that any passengers in your vehicle at the time of the crash are also okay. At this time, authorities and emergency services should also be contacted. Even if you don’t believe you’re seriously injured, it’s wise to seek medical attention, as internal bleeding and other symptoms could begin to show some time after the crash.
• Exchange information — If the other driver(s) involved in the crash are not too injured to do so, you should take time to exchange insurance information.
• Gather available evidence — Before you depart from the scene of the accident, make sure to gather any evidence that may be relevant for a future insurance or legal claim. This includes taking photographs of injuries and impact to the vehicles, tire marks on the road or broken barricades, and gathering evidence of other factors that might be of importance like weather conditions. If there are witnesses, you should collect their contact information and also check to see if there may be any cameras in the area that may have recorded the accident.

After you’ve completed these steps, you’ll want to reach out to your insurance carrier to file a claim for the accident. If your injuries are significant or you are concerned about the other driver attempting to refute your claims, it is wise to consult with an experienced automobile accident attorney about whether to consider taking legal action.

A knowledgeable attorney can help you hold the other party accountable and bolster your claim for damages.

If you have been involved in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys at Becker, Kellogg & Berry, P.C., in Springfield, Virginia can help answer any questions you may have about what to do next. To set up a free initial consultation please call 888-312-5087 or contact us online.