How Your Smartphone Can Help After A Car Accident www.lawteam.com /how-your-smartphone-can-help-after-a-car-accident/ Author: Evan Fetterman In the immediate moments after a crash, it can be difficult to think clearly and determine what to do next. While this is completely understandable, this is also where most accident victims make the most mistakes in terms of filing a successful insurance claim afterwards. But ironically, one of the most helpful tools accident victims have on them at the time of a crash – and is often one of the very things that cause accidents – is a Smartphone. There are plenty of news stories and research studies that focus on the dangers of Smartphones s in cars and how they can contribute to accidents. But Smartphones can also be helpful after an accident has happened. Read on to learn some of the ways a Smartphone can help you after a car accident. 1. Report the Accident: One of the most important things you can do as soon as an accident has happened is to report it—even if you think the accident and injuries are minor. Filing a police report is strongly recommended, so you want to be sure that the police are on the scene to take down your information. Use your Smartphone to contact the police or other authorities. 2. Record and Store Contact Details: There are a lot of things to remember right after the accident, but make it a point to record and store the contact details of any other parties involved in your phone. Use a “notes” application on your phone to record the details you need. Be sure to also record details about their insurance company, too, and any other information from witnesses in the area. This information might seem like a lot to gather right after the accident, but it may be essential if you have to ultimately file a claim. If you feel that the tension is high and that you can’t communicate with the other driver, make sure the police record these details on the police report. You can use the police to run interference to collect the necessary information and keep the situation calm. This information might seem like a lot to gather right after the accident, but it may be essential if you have to ultimately file a claim. 3. Take Pictures: Use your Smartphone to take pictures or even take a quick video of the damage and accident scene. It is essential to document what has happened as this will serve as “evidence” to your insurance company and even the other driver’s insurance company when it’s time to file a claim. Be sure to also show your photos
and/or videos to the police, too. Also Read : What To Do After a Car Accident?
After-Accident Apps That Are Actually Useful We aren’t talking about dinner apps, here, we are talking about useful Smartphone apps that can help you after a car accident. Believe it or not, there are several different Smartphone applications that you can use to track what to do in the immediate aftermath of the accident. Check out this site here to learn more about some of the after-accident apps out there. For example, you can use an application such as “Help I Crashed My Car” on an Android or “The Car Accident Report” from your Smartphone. These apps allow you to preload vehicle information, personal data, and contact information before any accidents happen. Your location is also tracked using GPS and there are checklists included of what to do after an accident. Even if you suspect that the damage is minor or that your injuries are not severe immediately after the incident occurs, it is always a good idea to take pictures any way; you never know when you might need them afterwards. In fact, your insurance company may require it and in the event that you realize you do have serious injuries down the road, it is better to have this information than to try to scramble when it could be too late. Photos and videos taken immediately after the accident are much more compelling when you need to present them in court or to your insurance company.
Be Smart – Use Your Smartphone AFTER a Car Accident, Not While Driving… It’s ironic to think that the very device that might have played a key role in an accident, since texting and driving causes more accidents than drunk driving, a Smartphone might be the very tool that can help you in the aftermath of a car accident. Of course, if your accident was severe enough, then you may have lost your phone in the wreckage. After an accident, you are likely to immediately call a friend, family member or loved one for help—maybe even before calling the police. If this is the case, then he or she can take pictures or video with their phone when they arrive. If you don’t have anyone else to call, then you may have to rely on taking pictures or recording details the old-fashioned ways.
Use Your Smartphone and Call a West Palm Beach Car Accident Attorney After everything is all said and done, your next move should be to call a West Palm Beach car accident attorney who can help you with your claim. The details you have collected on your Smartphone will make it easier for your
insurance company as well as your attorney, and any evidence you collect could help move you closer to a settlement agreement or a successful case outcome. Visit here to read more about getting started with a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer after an accident.