What To Do After a Drunk Driving Accident

Regardless of how careful you might be on the road, a single drunk driving incident is often enough to tarnish your flawless streak. When this drunk driving results in an accident, it can also cause massive harm to surround property and people alike.

But whatever the extent of the damage might be, it’s important to know exactly what to do after a drunk driving accident takes place. This allows you to move forward with a cautious approach that lets you steer clear of unnecessary problems that stem from driving under the influence (DUI).

By going through the following information, you can be aware of the steps you need to take after experiencing a drunk driving accident. With these tips in mind, you can prevent a single incident from massively disrupting your present and future alike.

Remain at the Scene

After running into an accident while driving under the influence, the first thing that you want to keep in mind is to remain at the scene at all costs. This also applies to situations where heavy damage is involved since leaving the site of the accident can quickly turn into a hit and run case in those scenarios.

If you leave the scene of the accident without reporting the incident and identifying yourself to the people involved, the consequences can grow by a significant degree. This holds even in cases where property damage occurs without any bodily injuries.

It’s because departing right after causing an accident gives off the impression that you might not be interested in making amends. On the contrary, it shows that you may be actively avoiding them. To make sure that you do not project such an attitude, you must stay at the scene.

The rest of the steps regarding your legal protection can be taken at the scene itself. This leaves no reason for you to leave the site and encourages you to remain there until the next steps are taken.

Call the Police

Even if you are alone at the scene but have harmed someone else’s property, you must take the initiative to call the police by yourself. Like how remaining at the scene shows good intent, calling the police before someone else makes sure that you are actively taking steps to mitigate the damage.

This gets even more important when you are accompanied by people who have been harmed in the accident. In addition to getting proper help, this also makes sure that you can clear yourself of negative obligations for avoiding law enforcement and medical assistance.

The best approach is often to call emergency services at 911, which take all types of assistance into account and ensure that you and other people in the accident, get the help you need. If you have inflicted bodily injuries yourself, it also addresses those problems before going through legal processes.

Calling the police also helps you obtain a police report, a document you need later to claim insurance damages. This is especially helpful if you have an insurance provider that does not deny claims based upon negligence or intentional conduct.

Seek Medical Care After A Car Accident 

A car crash is an unfortunate event.

When involved in a minor accident, it is important to know the amount of damage your body has gone through. Some injuries are clearly visible while some are not. So, the first thing you need is to rush to a medical facility for the proper health care. 

Even if you feel no injuries or pain at the time, you might be prone to soft tissue, spinal, or head injuries that require a medical examination.  After an accident, seeking medical treatment is crucial so that victims can get initial treatment immediately and can protect their health at that time. Doctors will diagnose and prescribe the right medication for your condition, ensuring that your health will be improved and recover more quickly. 

Detecting Harmful Symptoms

When you meet with an accident, especially a minor one, it is important to get immediate medical care, even if you experience no pain after the collision. You might not know this but many car accident injuries like soft tissues, spinal injuries, concussions, and whiplash may not show symptoms for several hours or days. Indeed, if it is left unchecked it may cause severe problems. 

Also, you might have other issues that range from ligament, tissue damage or fracture, internal bleeding, or a herniated spinal disc that may only be visible with a CT scan or X-ray.

Get Referred If Necessary

Depending on the severity and type of injury, your doctor may refer you to specialists for further treatment or suggested follow-up care. It is essential to follow the care plan of the doctor carefully and in a timely manner. 

As a patient, you are always free to take second opinions from different same qualified doctors. However, if you ignore treatment instructions or miss appointments, you could not only put your health at stake but also give an impression to insurance companies that your injuries are not significant. 

From dealing with insurance claims to property damage, it can be difficult to take care of yourself. But regardless of how minor or severe a car accident is, make sure to seek medical care as soon as possible. It is not only important for lawsuit claims but can also help you with a hidden health concern that you cannot be able to detect without a proper medical assessment. 

Injuries may not be too noticeable right after a car accident, especially the internal injuries present within. 

Undoubtedly, after any type of car crash, a major concern is always the well-being and health of people involved in it. When you are admitted to the hospital immediately and is in time for medical attention, it allows your doctor to determine if you are injured and how long the recovery process may be.

Finally, it is only your doctor who could tell you about the hidden injuries you might have after a car accident after conducting different examinations.

Take Video/Pictures Proof

While you wait for the police and medical assistance to arrive, you also need to move forward with the process of checking the site of the accident by yourself.

Take as many pictures and videos as possible of the surrounding area of the accident as well as the specific property damage. This includes any damages made to your car. You should also identify any witnesses who are around and take their contact information.

These images, videos, and witnesses help you form a case for your defense and ensure that you are able to protect yourself against undue claims made by the injured party.

While this particular step may not give you or your insurance company a free pass from paying the costs of the damage caused, it ensures that you don’t have to pay massive or unfair payments to the injured party.

For instance, if the other party decides to bring a lawsuit for property damage or personal injury to court, this evidence can refer to the events and damage that actually took place. From there, the combination of the evidence and the police report can ensure if the other party is telling the truth about the extent of their damage.

Due to these reasons, it’s important that you actively collect all proper evidence that helps the police report form a cohesive picture of the site of the accident. With the help of strong legal representation, this ensures that your drunk driving accident doesn’t cause you to foot the bill for unnecessary claims.

Contact a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

While going through calling the police, getting medical assistance, and collecting evidence, you should also remember to call a drunk driving accident attorney.  These lawyers specialize in dealing with road accident cases and hold the required expertise in handling drunk driving incidents. 

From helping you deal with DUI-related legal processes to communicating with your insurance provider, these lawyers can ease up the difficulties that you may face right after a drunk driving accident. That is why they become one of your first points of contact after running into such an incident.

At Miller Luzier, PLLC, our team of attorneys holds significant experience in providing representation in DUI-related cases. Understanding the difficulties and the extent of consequences involving the process, we make it a point to guide you every step of the way to mitigate your risks and related damages.

This expertise also remains applicable at the other end of such incidents. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a drunk driving accident, our legal team can ensure to help you seek justice for your suffering.

To see how our practice can help you with your drunk driving accident, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will be glad to hold a detailed consultation with you and guide you through the process's intricacies.