If you’re involved in a car accident in Knoxville, Tennessee, filing a police report is crucial for insurance claims and potential legal actions. The responding officer will typically file an accident report, which you can later obtain from the local police department, sheriff’s office, or the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what to do:

Ensure safety and medical attention

Ensuring safety and determining whether medical attention is needed after a car accident involves a few critical steps. Here’s how you can manage the situation effectively:

• Check for injuries: Immediately after the accident, check yourself and others involved for any injuries. Even if injuries seem minor or are not apparent, symptoms can appear later, so it’s important to be cautious.
• Call for emergency services: If there is any doubt about injuries or if anyone is clearly injured, call 911 immediately. It’s essential to get emergency medical personnel on the scene to provide necessary care.
• Make the area safe: If it’s safe to do so, move vehicles out of the traffic to prevent further accidents. Turn on hazard lights, set up flares, or use warning triangles, if available, to alert approaching drivers of the accident scene.
• Provide basic first aid: If you’re trained in first aid and it’s safe to administer, provide basic care such as stopping bleeding with clean cloths, applying gentle pressure to wounds, and covering injured parties with blankets to prevent shock.
• Get checked by medical professionals: Even if you feel fine, it’s wise to get a medical examination after an accident. Some injuries, like whiplash or internal injuries, might not show immediate symptoms.

Notify the police

In Knoxville, Tennessee, you are typically required to call the police after a car accident under certain circumstances. According to Tennessee law, you should notify the police if any of the following conditions apply:

• Injuries or fatalities: If anyone is injured or killed in the accident, you must call the police immediately.
• Significant property damage: The law requires reporting any accident involving property damage over $1,500. This threshold can often easily be met, even in seemingly minor collisions.
• Uninsured drivers: If the accident involves an uninsured driver, it’s particularly important to have a police report for insurance and legal purposes.
• Driver under the influence: If there’s any suspicion that the accident was caused by a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the police should be notified.

Calling the police ensures that an official report is made, which is crucial for insurance claims and legal matters. The responding officers will assess the scene, gather statements, and compile information that is vital for a thorough understanding of the incident. Additionally, a police report provides an impartial third-party account of the accident, which can help resolve disputes and determine liability.

Collect information

While waiting for the police, gather the following information from all parties involved in the accident:

• Names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
• Driver’s license numbers
• Insurance information
• Vehicle descriptions (make, model, year, color)
• License plate numbers

Document the scene

Thoroughly documenting the scene of a car accident is crucial for insurance claims, legal processes, and personal records. Here are some critical things to document:

• Environmental and road conditions: Record the time, date, and exact location of the accident. Note the weather conditions, lighting (daylight, dusk, dawn, night), and any road hazards that could have influenced the accident.
• Photographs: Take comprehensive photos from various angles of all vehicles involved, showing the damage sustained and capturing any skid marks, road conditions, traffic signs, and signals.
• Traffic and surveillance cameras: Check for any nearby surveillance or traffic cameras that might have recorded the accident. Note their locations and, if possible, contact information for entities that manage these cameras.
• Diagrams: Draw a basic diagram of the accident scene, including the positions of the vehicles before and after the accident, the direction of travel, and any other relevant details like crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic lights.
• Statements and observations: Write down a detailed account of what happened before, during, and after the accident while it’s fresh in your memory. If possible, gather statements from witnesses about what they saw and their contact information for future reference.
• Injuries and medical attention: Document any injuries you or others sustained, as well as medical care received. Keep records of medical reports, bills, and related expenses.

Maintain a comprehensive file of all documents and correspondence related to the accident. This will help in managing insurance claims and any potential legal issues.

Contact your insurance company—and an attorney

Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. Provide them with all relevant information and documentation, including the crash report and photos from the scene.

If there are any disputes about the accident or significant injuries, consider consulting with an experienced attorney who specializes in car accidents. They can provide legal advice and representation to help protect your rights and interests.

At Banks and Jones Attorneys at Law, we provide clients with effective and aggressive representation in car accident cases. For more than 25 years, our firm has handled countless accident cases, and we work diligently to help you recover damages from the party responsible for your injuries. To find out more about how we can help you, call us in Knoxville or fill out our contact form today.