Brentwood, TN – Summer brings a noticeable uptick in crashes across the region as vacation traffic, road construction, and out-of-town drivers fill local highways and surface streets. Even the most experienced and cautious drivers can find themselves in a collision, which is why every driver should know how to respond when one happens. Patterson Bray PLLC, a Brentwood-based law firm representing injury victims throughout Middle Tennessee, wants local drivers to know what those first 24 hours after a car accident should look like, and where things often go wrong.
The first priority after any crash should always be safety. If possible, drivers need to move to a secure location, call 911, and seek medical attention even if they feel uninjured. During this period of the post-crash timeline, adrenaline can mask symptoms of whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries. Prompt medical care also establishes a record that connects any later-discovered injuries directly to the accident.
"We see people make the same mistakes again and again in those first 24 hours," said Chris Patterson, Managing Partner at Patterson Bray PLLC. "They skip the ER because they feel okay, or they tell the insurance adjuster more than they should, or they wait too long to call a lawyer. Any one of those things can hurt their case when it comes time to file a claim for compensation."
Once drivers secure the scene, they should gather as much documentation as possible, including photographs of the vehicles, the surrounding area, and any visible injuries. Drivers should also exchange contact and insurance information with the other party and file a police report, even after seemingly minor collisions.
One of the most common missteps happens in the days that follow, when an insurance adjuster reaches out for a statement. Adjusters often come across as helpful, but they work to limit their company's financial exposure, and a recorded statement that a driver gives before understanding their rights can significantly weaken a claim.
Calling an attorney within those first 24 hours matters nearly as much as calling a doctor. Tennessee enforces a one-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims, and evidence has a way of disappearing well before that deadline arrives. Patterson Bray PLLC offers free consultations to anyone injured in a Brentwood-area crash, and the firm's attorneys know how important it is to step in early to preserve evidence, deal with insurance carriers, and carry the legal load so clients can put their energy into healing.
