If you’ve been involved in an accident, there are specific steps you can take to protect your rights and any injury claim you might have to make. These steps might differ from state to state, so it’s essential to know the rules if you live and work in the Peachtree State. Here, we’ll discuss what you should do if you’ve been involved in a traffic collision on the highway in Georgia.
Requirements After a Highway Crash
Georgia law Section 40-6-273 requires anyone involved in an accident with injuries or property damage over $500 to report the accident to the police. As far as remaining on the scene, each scenario has its own code section:
- Section 40-6-270 states that if anyone is injured or killed, the drivers of vehicles involved in the accidents must stop and remain on the scene. Failure to stop or leave the scene before police arrive is a felony.
- Section 40-6-273.1 states that when a law enforcement officer is called to the scene of an accident, they shall inform all drivers of their duty to provide insurance information to all other drivers at the scene.
- Section 40-6-274 states that if nobody is injured or killed and no other party is involved, you are not required to stop or immediately report the accident.
In other words, if you are rear-ended at a stoplight, and you and the other driver reasonably believe that neither of you is injured and that the damage to your vehicle is not over $500, you may exchange insurance information and leave without notifying the police. If you are backing up in a parking lot and hit a lamp post, you’re not required to call the police and wait before leaving the scene.
Steps You Should Take After a Highway Crash
Whether you must call the police or not, there are several things you should do at the scene of an accident to protect yourself and to make filing your insurance claim easier.
- Whether the police respond or you call the report in later, you should get a copy of the police report. The police on the scene will give you an incident number, and you can obtain a copy of the report from the responding agency, the Georgia State Patrol, or the Georgia Department of Transportation agency. The report is usually available 10-14 days after the accident.
- Take photos of the accident scene. Taking pictures of the cars before they are moved could help your attorney determine how the collisions occurred. Try to get a clear shot of the other car’s license plate. If you can get wide pictures that show the direction of traffic and any signals or visual obstructions, get those as well.
- Witnesses can be helpful if they saw the accident. Get the names and contact information for anyone willing to provide it but advise them your attorney will be contacting them as witnesses.
- Seek medical care as soon as possible. If you called 911, chances are an ambulance will arrive with the police, and you should let the paramedics check you out, even if you do not need to be transported for emergency care. If you don’t go to the emergency room, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. Your insurance company may require it, and some types of injuries can take hours or even days to appear. Play it safe and see a doctor.
What You Should Not Do After a Collision
There are a few things you should never do at an accident scene, although some of them can be difficult to avoid.
- Do not accept blame. In the heat of the moment, it can be difficult to avoid saying “I’m sorry” because we’re only human. Unfortunately, being courteous or trying to make the other driver feel better could put your injury claim at risk if you need to seek compensation from them later.
- Do not confront the other driver. These days, “road rage” can be dangerous or deadly. Just ask for insurance information. If they won’t give it, get their license number and wait for the police.
- Do not try to handle the situation without the police. If the other driver offers to pay for everything if you don’t get the insurance companies involved, that should be your cue to get the insurance companies involved.
The safest action after a car accident is to ask the other driver for their insurance information and wait until law enforcement arrives.
How Our Georgia Car Accident Lawyers Can Help
After a car accident, you should speak with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as you can. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, the Gwinnett County car accident attorneys Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers would be ready to help you seek the compensation you deserve. Call us or reach out to us online for a free consultation.
