If you are in a motor vehicle accident, you should try to get as much information as possible. Your ability to do this may depend on the circumstances. The number one priority in any accident is safety. Everyone's concern should be the safety and health of all involved. If you are in a dangerous situation, or if you think the circumstances are dangerous on top of being in an accident, call the police and proceed with the utmost caution.
If your health allows, try to gather as much information as possible at the scene. If you can't do this because of injuries, perhaps someone you trust can assist you. It would be best to make these efforts once the police arrive. In this day and age, you obviously don't want to make a bad situation worse with a hostile driver or hostile environment.
Unfortunately our office has seen many police crash reports that have errors, ranging from minor to major. The license plates, driver's license numbers, VIN numbers, make and models of the vehicles, the locations, the names and date of birth of the drivers is frequently in error. If you or someone on your behalf can get photos of any information, safely, this will be a assistance. Photos of the scene and vehicles, if this can be done safely, is always helpful. If your injury or safety will be compromised, the priority is health and safety. Even if you could get a bystander or witness to help out and then send you the information, this will be helpful. Under all circumstances proceed with safety and caution. But information helps and can make the difference in the outcome of a claim.
Our office has taken cases where the information from the scene is very limited, and we will make every effort to find out the facts to make your claim successful. The earlier you contact our office following a bad motor vehicle accident, the easier it is to fill in the pieces of the puzzle and to bring a claim or lawsuit to a good outcome.