After a pedestrian accident, you should get the driver’s name, contact details, driver’s license information, insurance information, and vehicle details, including the license plate number. Collect these details only if you can do so safely and without delaying medical care.
This information can help identify the driver, report the pedestrian collision, and pursue an insurance claim for your injuries. Our pedestrian accident lawyers at Sweet James can help you collect the information you need from the driver after a pedestrian accident.
What Driver and Vehicle Information Should You Collect?
Ask for enough information to identify the driver, the vehicle, and the potentially applicable auto insurance policy. Here’s the information you should get from the driver after a pedestrian accident:
- Record the driver’s full name, current address, and phone number.
- Note the driver’s license number and issuing state.
- Record the insurance company’s name, policy number, and named policyholder shown on the insurance card.
- Write down the vehicle’s license plate number and issuing state, make, model, and color.
- Ask who owns the vehicle and collect the owner’s name and contact information if someone else owns it.
Check that photographs are readable before leaving, if your condition allows. Keep these driver and vehicle records private rather than posting identification documents or insurance details online.
What Other Evidence Should You Gather at the Scene?
Driver information is only one part of documenting a pedestrian accident. If it is safe, preserve evidence showing where the crash occurred and how the surrounding conditions may have contributed. Do not step into traffic or put yourself at risk to collect evidence.
Here’s the evidence you should collect:
- Take photographs of the vehicle, visible damage, and your visible injuries.
- Photograph the crosswalk, traffic signals, pedestrian crossing signals, signs, lighting, and nearby obstructions from a safe location.
- Record the date, time, exact location, and weather conditions.
- Ask witnesses for their names and contact information.
- Note nearby businesses, traffic cameras, or other possible sources of surveillance or dashcam video.
- Ask responding officers for their names, agency, and incident or report number.
Write down what you remember as soon as you reasonably can, separating your observations from anything others told you. Include where you were walking, the vehicle’s direction of travel, and any traffic signal you actually observed. Video may be overwritten, so tell your lawyer promptly about possible footage of the pedestrian crash.
What Should You Do if the Driver Refuses to Share Information or Leaves?
Do not argue, block the vehicle, or chase the driver. Move to safety if possible, contact law enforcement, and provide whatever identifying details you observed, including the plate number, vehicle description, and direction of travel.
Information-exchange and crash-reporting requirements vary by state and circumstances. An officer may be able to document the refusal or investigate a possible hit-and-run accident, but identifying the driver is not guaranteed.
Even incomplete driver information may help an investigation. Preserve witness contacts and photographs, and avoid guessing when you describe details you could not clearly see.
If the driver cannot be identified, ask whether any uninsured motorist coverage available to you could apply; coverage depends on the policy, state law, and circumstances.
What if Your Injuries Prevent You From Getting Information From the Driver After a Pedestrian Accident?
Medical care takes priority over collecting details. Call emergency services when needed, and do not delay treatment to photograph documents or question the driver. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent, so seek medical evaluation for symptoms or concerns after the collision.
If someone you trust is present, ask them to gather information from the driver after the pedestrian accident. Responding officers may also collect driver and insurance details that you can later request through the appropriate agency. Ask how and when you can obtain a copy of the police report.
Missing information does not necessarily prevent a pedestrian injury claim. Sweet James can assess whether police records, witness accounts, available footage, or other evidence may help identify the driver and applicable coverage.
What Should You Say to the Driver and Their Insurer?
Keep your conversation with the driver focused on safety and exchanging factual information. Avoid arguments about fault, speculation about what happened, or statements that you are uninjured before you have had an opportunity to assess your condition.
When communicating with an insurer about the pedestrian accident, be accurate and distinguish what you know from what remains uncertain. Record the insurance adjuster’s name, contact information, and claim number.
If your own insurance may apply, review its reporting and cooperation requirements promptly. Those obligations may differ from requests made by another person’s insurer.
How Sweet James Can Help With Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
Our lawyers have experience helping injury victims for over 25 years. Founding attorney James Bergener previously represented insurance carriers, giving him insight into how insurers evaluate and defend personal injury claims.
We can review the information you have, identify gaps that may need investigation, and explain how driver, vehicle, and insurance records may affect your potential pedestrian accident claim. That review may include police reports, witness statements, and evidence relevant to liability and available insurance coverage.
Learn More About Getting Driver Information After a Pedestrian Accident
You do not need every document before asking for guidance. Contact Sweet James to discuss what you collected, what is missing, and how those gaps may affect your potential claim.
We can review your circumstances and explain options for seeking additional records and pursuing compensation. Contact us to discuss your pedestrian accident in a free consultation.
