After a serious crash, Long Beach drivers may face medical bills, missed work, and insurance pressure, so drivers should learn how to protect themselves after the fact.
Car accidents can easily result in significant medical and work-related costs for victims, especially if those victims are not in cars themselves during an accident. While there are ways to minimize the likelihood of getting into an accident, such as driving below the speed limit and avoiding driving distracted, it is unfortunately impossible to stay safe on the road 100% of the time, short of not being outside in the first place.
As such, residents of population-dense cities like Long Beach should prepare themselves by learning a bit about Long Beach car crash claims via Omega Law and other local legal resources. By understanding how to navigate the claims process, residents may be better able to protect themselves physically, legally, and financially.
Why Vehicular Safety Matters in Long Beach
Despite Long Beach’s relatively small size compared to nearby cities like Los Angeles, it has one of the highest rates of vehicular accident injuries among similarly sized cities in California.
According to a report from Long Beach’s city government, “Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are especially vulnerable when involved in collisions because they are less protected than motorists. Together, these three travel modes account for only 14 percent of collisions but represent 65 percent of all traffic deaths and serious injuries in Long Beach.”
All of this is to say that Long Beach residents may want to prepare themselves particularly well to navigate the personal injury claims process, either to advocate for themselves or their loved ones.
What to Do Immediately After a Crash
When responding to a car crash, it is best to address the most urgent issues first and work toward less time-sensitive matters from there.
After an accident, call 911 if anyone is injured or the crash creates a hazard. Note that not all injuries are immediately apparent; for example, what may be a minor headache or slight dizziness during the time of the accident could actually be symptoms of more severe conditions like a concussion or whiplash. As such, it is often worth contacting emergency medical services even when injuries do not appear serious at first.
After making those calls and getting yourself and others to safety, you should exchange driver, insurance, and vehicle information with the other party(ies) involved. Remember to avoid admitting or even suggesting fault during this time, as insurance companies may use those statements to minimize your compensation later. You will also want to get witness names and contact details if applicable.
Once you get the necessary information, take photos of the crash scene, damage, injuries, road conditions, traffic lights, debris, and skid marks. Obtaining this visual evidence sooner rather than later is important because the conditions at the accident scene could change over time, potentially complicating your claim.
Lastly, make sure to save medical records, repair estimates, insurance letters, and crash-related receipts, as these documents can prove instrumental in protecting the validity of your claim.
Managing Documentation with Police and Insurers
Two other parties you will need to contact at the scene of the accident or shortly after you leave are the local police and your insurance company. Having the highway patrol or another police entity investigate the accident scene is important because they can provide a non-biased, third-party perspective on what happened through a police report. Like medical documentation, this information can be useful when supporting your claim.
Drivers typically need to report a crash to their insurer, but they should be cautious before giving broad recorded statements, signing medical authorizations, or accepting a fast settlement. Insurance adjusters are typically incentivized to reduce a claimant’s compensation as much as possible, so drivers need to be especially mindful of what they do and do not tell their insurance company when reporting their crash.
Considering Legal Guidance
Given how many moving parts there are in filing a personal injury claim, drivers may want to consider consulting a local personal injury attorney for guidance on topics such as collecting necessary documentation and communicating with insurance adjusters. If you decide to hire one such attorney, they will usually handle the majority of this work for you, including taking your claim to trial if an insurer refuses to settle.
Regardless of whether or not you decide to seek legal guidance, you should at least keep in mind what to do during and immediately after getting into a car accident, as that brief window of time can be vital when it comes to collecting the information needed to support your case to the fullest extent. Accidents in Long Beach are sometimes unavoidable, but that does not mean they have to be hopeless.
FAQs
Q: What should someone do first after a car accident in Long Beach?
A: They should check for injuries, call 911 if needed, move to safety when possible, and begin documenting the crash scene.
Q: Why are photos important after a collision?
A: Photos may preserve details about vehicle damage, road conditions, injuries, debris, and traffic controls before the scene changes.
Q: When can legal guidance be useful after a Long Beach crash?
A: Legal guidance may be useful when injuries are serious, fault is disputed, an insurer delays payment, or the settlement offer does not appear to cover documented losses.