In the rush of school pickup, traffic on a street like Central could suddenly turn into a multi-car pileup. While a mother keeps an eye on the stop sign the crossing guard holds up and edges her car around a row of parked cars, all the while listening to her child tell her about his new zipper pull on the backpack, she might get struck by the cars around her. After the kid is safely out of the car and has no cuts or bruises, the question becomes: what happens next? It isn’t just the plastic shards and glass on the road that need to be accounted for. Here are three factors that could impact your child’s accident case.
Camera Footage Could Get Wiped
When a multi-car accident occurs, as explained at ourworldindata.org/road-safety, different accounts from different parties can make it difficult to determine who is at fault. For example, a driver can swear they were at a green light, whereas another driver will swear they saw the light turn red. Meanwhile, a crossing guard hanging out by an orange cone might’ve caught which car hit first instead of just seeing the later crashes in the pileup.
It is possible there are cameras nearby that can assist in determining what happened. There may be a security camera on a store window looking down at the street, which could have captured the braking distance of other cars, and who entered the pickup line. Another possibility is the camera over the school entrance, capturing the children walking to the street. The footage on these devices could get erased quickly, and you may need to ask the owners in writing to preserve it.
Other items of evidence include:
- The name, shift, and location of the crossing guard
- Surveillance cameras from the nearby stores and businesses looking down at the street
- Video recorded from other parents’ dashcams
- Pictures of the scene, including debris and the positions of the cars
- Sign-in sheets from the school and dismissal records
If you take a photo of the scene with your phone once the cars have moved, it is still helpful. Pictures of the bent license plates near the street grate, a side mirror lying near the crosswalk, and a booster seat visible in the back of a car with the door opened can be helpful in the days and weeks following the accident.
The Symptoms of Your Child Could Come Later
It is common for children to feel completely fine right after an accident. Their bodies are flooded with adrenaline, they may be confused, and the excitement of the police arriving may keep them busy. They may come home from school and say they feel okay. However, a few hours later they are complaining of a headache, and don’t eat much dinner. Other times, they will complain of their neck hurting – you can read more on this useful content, when they wake up at night or they won’t want to tie their shoes in the morning.
Having your child evaluated by a doctor can help find injuries that didn’t present immediately at the scene. Make sure to save the doctor’s visit notes, any prescriptions they were given, the absence reports they provided, and the billing statements for their visit. Consider keeping these documents in a folder along with the insurance claim paperwork and the towing company’s receipt. Evanston auto accident representation can help pursue a personal injury claim for both your child and for yourself for your injuries, hospital bills, and missed work.
The Car Seat May Need To Be Replaced
Even though a child’s car seat looks to be in good shape after an accident, it may need to be replaced. The straps may still lock, the armrest may still be there, and the plastic casing may not show any cracks, but the car seat may have sustained damage in the accident. Make sure not to throw out the seat until you have documented it. Take pictures of the tag indicating the date it was manufactured, its location in the car, the position of the harness, and the type of seat it is. Save the original receipt from when you bought it, if you have it, as well as the manufacturer’s website for directions on whether it should be replaced. The insurance company may ask for proof that it was in the car during the accident.
Putting It All Together
While a multi-car accident may occur while picking up your child from school, several parties and insurance companies could be involved, along with you, your child, and their injuries. Having an attorney can help gather statements and footage from the scene, contact witnesses, obtain medical records, file police reports, obtain repair estimates, and communicate with the insurance companies while you take care of getting your child to the doctor, replacing the car seat, and finding a new seat that fits in the back of your car. Before you sign a release along with the stack of papers from the accident, make sure to see the footage, document the symptoms of your child, and have the car seat inspected. You can miss these three things without even realizing it.