#8 MISTAKE: Losing track of the other driver’s contact information and photos from the car accident

QUESTION: What information do I need to get and keep track of if I’ve been involved in a car accident?

ANSWER: If you’ve been in a car accident, make sure to collect information about the person who caused the collision and any witness names and phone numbers. If possible, take pictures of the cars and scene as well. You should also keep a backup copy of any information and photos that you take.

The eighth biggest mistake you can make is losing the other driver’s contact information and photos from the car accident.  If you took a photo of the other person’s drivers license, their insurance card, you wrote down information on a piece of paper, or maybe the other driver or a witness handed you a business card — whatever information and photos you have from the accident, it is vital that you put everything in a safe place and don’t lose it.

It’s also a good idea to have a backup copy of any pictures you took, so that if you lose your phone, you wouldn’t have lost  the important information and photos from the accident.

The reason it’s so important is that if you want or need an attorney representing you, the information about the accident is absolutely critical. If, in the very unlikely event that a lawsuit did have to be filed, without that information it may be literally impossible for an attorney to represent you.

Keep a hold of photos that you took of the accident scene, of your car, the other person’s car. The photos may become invaluable for proving the extent of the damage done to the vehicles, prove that you really were injured, and perhaps who was at fault for causing the collision.

Make sure to make an extra copy of everything and to store it securely, so in the event you need it, you’ll have it.