What should I do after being involved in a DUI accident?

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DUI Lawyer Frederick, MD

If you have been injured in an accident involving an impaired driver, there are a few steps you can take to protect your rights including, contacting a DUI lawyer Frederick, MD accident victims and their families can rely on.

• Stop and remain at the scene

Whatever you do, don’t leave the scene unless there is a significant risk to your safety. It is the law to stay at the scene of an accident until further notice.

Once stopped, you should:

1. Get the names and addresses of people involved in the accident, and the registration number of the vehicles involved.

2. Find any injured person and safely try to assist them. Additionally call 911 so any injured people can receive proper medical care.

3. Contact and request assistance from the police so there can be an accident report and any injured people can get the medical attention they need.

• When to Move Drivable Vehicles

Only move drivable vehicles if;

1. There is no apparent serious injury or death
2. The person moving the vehicle is uninjured and has a valid driver’s license
3. The vehicle can be driven
4. Movement of the vehicle can be performed with no risk to anyone

In all other cases vehicles should be left until further instruction from police. It is important to not mess with or alter the crime scene. It may be in your best interest to contact a DUI lawyer in Frederick, MD as soon as you can after you have been in an accident.

• Don’t apologize or take any blame at the scene

Interaction with the drunk driver should be as limited as possible. No actions should be taken to anger anyone or cause any conflict. It is important to stay calm and civil with the drunk driver. After obtaining the information you need, no other conversation is necessary with the driver or anyone else in the other car. Additionally do not admit that you did anything wrong and do not express regret or accept responsibility in any way.

• Contact the police ASAP

It is extremely important that the police be notified about the accident as soon as possible. Don’t let anyone try and persuade you otherwise. Police officers who respond can offer assistance to the scene by directing traffic and making the crash scene more safe. They can also help obtain a quick response from emergency services and towing companies. Police officers can investigate the scene to try and establish who is at fault by gathering evidence, taking photographs, measuring skid marks, determining points of impact, and documenting the paths of each vehicle both before and after initial impact. If police do not take pictures, be sure to take your own as evidence to defend yourself.

Once the police have been contacted, you may want to contact a Frederick, MD DUI lawyer in order to start protecting your rights as soon as possible.

• Seek Medical Treatment As Soon As Possible

Unless someone is positive they have no injuries, it is best to be evaluated by emergency physicians at a hospital after leaving the scene of the crash. Injuries may not be apparent at first so getting professional advice can be crucial.

• Obtain Information about the Drunk Driver and passengers in all other involved vehicles

It is vital to obtain this information;

• a full name and complete home address
• date of birth
• home, cell and work phone numbers
• name and address of employer
• driver’s license number and date/location of issuance
• complete description of the vehicle including year, make, model, and color
• vehicle license tag number and state
• vehicle identification number
• name of auto insurer and policy number
• name, address and telephone number of insurance agent

Call the attorneys at Cohen & Cohen today for help with your accident and to take the steps to compensation and recovery. For a highly rated DUI lawyer Frederick, MD accident victims and their families can trust, contact Cohen & Cohen any time of the day or night for a free case evaluation with no obligations.