9 Ways Your Phone Can Come in Handy After an Accident

Having quick access to your mobile device makes it easy to handle all sorts of accident aftermath details – promptly and efficiently, right at the scene. Instead of feeling lost or overwhelmed when you don’t have traditional tools like pens, paper, cameras, maps, documents, and phone books, you can leverage your powerful pocket computer to handle it all!

Here are 9 ways you can use your phone after an accident:

1. Document the Scene

While you wait for first responders, use your phone’s high-resolution camera and video capabilities to thoroughly document details at the accident scene from every relevant angle.

Capture images showing:

Final resting spot of each vehicle, bike, or pedestrian involved
Depth, area, and vehicle parts impacted by crush damage
Scrapes, shattered glass, and detached parts that may indicate the force of impact
Skidmark length, fluid spills, or debris fields showing travel direction
Injuries sustained by victims (from a respectful distance)
Witnesses and bystanders who saw events unfold

Take wide shots to place items in context as well as tight close-ups showing damage details up close. Document signage, weather conditions, road surface quality, visibility, and any external factors that may have contributed. The more images, the better for reconstructing later exactly what happened.

It may feel awkward, insensitive, or intrusive to snap photos while others are coping with injury or loss. However, capturing as much visual evidence as possible while details are still undisturbed preserves critical facts. Investigators can later analyze images to determine liability and support any claims of anyone who might seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.

Just be sure to stay out of harm’s way as you document. If vehicles are leaking gas, balanced precariously, or at risk of elements like fire or explosion – prioritize safety first over capturing phone evidence! First responders can advise when it is reasonably safe to approach and start documenting.

2. Exchange Contact and Insurance Information

Once the authorities give the all-clear, use your phone to take pictures of all driver’s licenses and insurance cards involved in the accident. It’s much easier than trying to neatly write down long policy numbers by hand in a stressful situation.

You’ll also want to capture images of vehicle registrations documenting VIN numbers and ownership details. Snap pics of the front and back to record details clearly.

In addition to documentation, get contact information from all other parties involved. Take a picture of their business card, shoot over a text or email right then from their phone to yours, add the phone number directly into your contacts, or take down their details manually.

Having all this documented evidence and contact information on your phone simplifies the insurance claims process later – since details will be preserved digitally in writing and in photo form. The details won’t be accidentally smudged or lost. You’ll have clear records of exactly who was driving each vehicle plus documentation to prove insurance coverage and ownership legitimacy.

3. Lookup License Plate Numbers

Speaking of gathering important driver and vehicle details – use your smartphone to look up license plate numbers on the spot. There are phone apps that let you input plate details from a photo to instantly get vehicle history and ownership record information corresponding to the DMV database.

This allows you to immediately record all parties involved even if some drivers flee the scene before police can respond to sort out what happened. If you at least have a license plate photo, the apps can give you access to the name and address tied to the vehicle registration along with safety recall info, emission test data, title transfers, accident history and more.

Look up all the plates involved to record vehicle specifics like make, model, year, VIN number, and the ownership trail. Having access to this vehicle history will empower you with evidence later when you need to track down hit-and-run perpetrators for compensation.

4. Record Statements from Witnesses

The more eyewitness evidence and statements you can collect immediately, the better. After an accident occurs, things get hectic quickly with police investigations, ambulance arrivals, tow truck pickup coordination and more. Witnesses may flee before investigators can gather full official accounts.

So if there are bystanders, passengers, or uninvolved observers still present on the scene, take advantage of the small window you have to record their perspective while details are still fresh. Use your phone to video or voice record witnesses describing what unfolded from their vantage point and the sequence of events observed.

That first-hand, in-the-moment account shared at the scene often carries significant weight later for insurance assessment and legal proceedings. It avoids issues where eyewitness recollections can fade or get unintentionally influenced by others’ versions of the story later on.

Plus having an audio or video record saves you from trying to scribble down full detailed sentences frantically while also dealing with the fallout from the accident itself. You can simply focus on getting as much perspective documented from witnesses.

Just be sure when recording witness statements to first explain why you’re capturing the account, then get their verbal consent on tape agreeing to provide a statement of events. This avoids legal issues down the road.

5. Locate Nearby Service Providers

Once the initial incident response, documentation, and information exchange is completed at the scene, first responders will clear the wreckage and route victims to proper medical facilities as needed.

But the journey still continues – damaged vehicles need to be transported, injuries need treatment, replacement transportation needs to be arranged, and insurance claims need to be filed.

Instead of wandering into unfamiliar territory or relying on others for recommendations, tap into location-based services on your phone to look up and map nearby service providers that can address ongoing needs.

Search for things like:

Medical centers equipped to fully evaluate and treat any injuries based on symptoms – ERs for critical trauma, orthopedics for fractures or physiotherapy for sprains and rehabilitation.
Body shops, dealerships or mechanic garages with the needed towing, storage capacity and skills to properly assess damage to vehicles.
Car rental agencies to arrange temporary transportation if your vehicle needs extensive repairs.
Chiropractors, therapists or massage specialists to treat soreness or whiplash discomfort in the weeks following.
Legal, claims adjusters and government agencies to notify about the accident, protect your rights, and assist with the documentation needed to recover damages from responsible parties.

Map apps will make it easy for you to find and call the best accident lawyers near you, well-rated body shops in your vicinity, and any other service providers you may need. They will also make it easier for you to compare reviews from prior customers, book appointments, and even route to the facility. There is no need to travel back home or to your usual service provider in order to find help – it’s all right nearby!

6. Notify Your Contacts

While dealing with all the headaches of police interviews, medical visits, tow truck coordination and insurance notifications, use convenient communication features on your phone to let key contacts know about the accident.

Quick voice messages, group text chats, and social posts can efficiently relay an update on your situation all at once so you don’t have to repeat updates individually.

Let managers and colleagues at your workplace know details like:

Expected duration of absence for accident business
Schedule adjustments needed to attend medical appointments
Status updates if injury recovery timeframe gets extended
Transportation help is needed if your vehicle is out of commission

Keep family and friends in the loop on stuff like:

Where you are being treated if injured
When you expect to be discharged if recovering at a hospital
Help needed arranging rides home or to critical appointments
Meals or household help needed while recuperating

Apps make efficient sharing easy even when your hands are full dealing with other pressing issues. You can dictate text messages hands-free to let your whole circle know what’s happening without taking the time to contact each person one by one.

7. Track Symptoms of Injuries

If anyone involved gets hurt in the accident, advise them to download and utilize a dedicated symptom-tracking app on their phone. Most of them make it simple for patients (or their caregivers) to log specific body areas affected, medications prescribed and taken, appointment notes, and any provider instructions between visits.

Tracking symptoms, pain levels, mobility constraints, medication side effects and recovery progress in one secure digital interface has many benefits:

It improves continuity of care when multiple providers are involved with referrals.
It allows you to come prepared to appointments with specifics to aid diagnosis and treatment decisions. Patients often forget details between visits.
It lets all your providers collaborate with the fullest clinical picture for whole-person health rather than isolated data.
It assists with insurer requests for detailed support showing therapies attempted before authorization of additional treatments.
It gives legal help irrefutable correlated evidence between accident-caused injuries and their evolving impacts over time.

Having meticulous symptom/treatment documentation strengthens your case considerably if pursuing legal action later. So utilize your phone’s app capabilities to have all that key data right at your fingertips through the long healing and negotiation process.

8. Save Related Documents and Communications

Speaking of legal help – make things easier on your lawyer by using your phone to store all digital records related to the costs and consequences tied to the accident.

Have one reliable archive of stuff like:

All medical, therapeutic and auto repair bills
Records detailing medical procedures performed
Documentation from mechanics, body shops itemizing damage discovery and repairs
Recommendations for medical equipment rentals or mobility aids
Receipts for prescription medications or collision-related equipment purchases
Physical therapy progress reports with mobility benchmarks achieved
All imagery capturing damage progression as structural issues worsen
Written status statements from witnesses (with their permission)
Saved social media posts discussing the incident from involved parties
Text message conversations referencing the collision or culpability factors
Audio call recordings with insurance reps documenting claim status details
Journal-style voice memos personally dictating accident effects/symptoms

The more evidence compiled in one credible location, the better. You need to have all the documentation so as to prove your losses when negotiating for fair out-of-court legal settlements or when trying to prove damages in court.

9. Capture Evidence for Claim Preparation

If you plan on pursuing financial compensation in court for damages beyond what insurance settlements cover, use your phone diligently in the months following the accident to gather corroborating evidence.

Record imagery and voice annotations capturing day-to-day issues stemming from the incident, like:

Work days missed due to medical visits, procedures performed, and recovery periods
Loss of hourly wages tied to accident-related absence or reduced hours
Inability to perform regular job duties due to physical restrictions
Mobility limitations reducing independence in routine home/life activities
Lasting psychological effects like driving anxiety preventing your commute
Relationship strain due to personality/mood changes from enduring trauma and pain

Photos, videos, dated voice notes, and other timestamped documentation quantifying long-term impacts can go a long way in demonstrating out-of-pocket losses and suffering. And so consult your attorney on specific evidence you should collect so as to make your claim as irrefutable as possible.