If you’ve been in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia, there is a series of things that you MUST do following the incident. These things include exchanging insurance information, photographing damage, filing a police report, and potentially contacting a car accident lawyer in Atlanta. During this time though, there are things that you should not do. These can be hard to remember in such a stressful situation. Read more below about things that you should not do following a car accident. 

For most, if not all, insurance claims to be valid, there must be a police report that corroborates the incident. If you do not contact the police immediately after the accident, you may have problems when trying to supply the insurance company with an official report. Therefore, it is important to contact the nearest police department in the event of any injuries at the scene.

After an accident, your adrenaline will be pumping and your nerves will be excited. It is often very natural for people to apologize or take some blame in the event of an incident. It is very important in the event of an accident that you avoid any urges to claim fault, or even apologize. This goes for apologies or claims to fault to any of the other involved parties, the attending officers, or the insurance companies. Any admission of fault will be used as a reason to avoid payments to you from insurance companies, and these decisions are best determined after the excitement has settled and the details are clear.

Injuries arising from an accident such as whiplash, muscle strains, or nerve damage may take some time to become apparent, especially while your adrenaline is heightened. It is therefore advised that you make contact with medical professionals such as EMTs to establish a baseline following the accident. If you do not make contact with First Responders, it is important that you consult with your doctor immediately to recognize any overlooked diagnoses and possible treatments before they become more serious.

The longer you take to file a claim, the less clear the details will be in your mind; more importantly, insurance companies have cut off times between the incident and the last opportunity to file a claim. It is important to handle all necessary paperwork in a timely manner so you are certain to get the help you deserve.

Insurance companies are very effective at offering settlements that work out better for them than for the victim involved in the accident. Oftentimes it may seem that this is the best offer you will get, or that you deserve, but often this is not the case. Speak with a car accident lawyer in Atlanta before closing the issue and accepting the settlement. Many law offices offer free consultations to discuss your situation, potential outcomes, accident laws in Atlanta that will give you greater insight into your rights — oftentimes these rights go beyond anything that an insurance company will volunteer to you. Remember that an insurance company's first priority is to protect their own financial interests, which means settling at the lowest cost possible.