At some point in your life, you may be injured in a car accident caused by another driver, and it might not be easy to think clearly in the moments after. You may be disoriented, in pain and shook up. Reading this now could jog your memory later and help ease some of the confusion.
Even the safest drivers are at risk of being injured due to the negligence of others. Knowing these tips can help protect you if you are injured in a car accident.
- Seek medical attention. Just because you were not brought to the hospital by ambulance does not mean that you should not get checked out by a doctor. Some injuries can take time to develop or to show symptoms. It is best to go to the doctor after an accident. Medical documentation is important in car accident claims, and you want to make sure that your medical documents are complete and dated back to the day of the accident.
- Follow your doctor’s orders. Again, medical documentation is vital to the successful resolution of a personal injury claim. If your physician wants you to attend follow up appointments, see a specialist or do physical therapy for your recovery, make sure that you are listening to the advice.
- Research and find the right law firm for you. An experienced personal injury attorney who has helped many people just like you can be your best bet for obtaining compensation for your medical bills, injuries and other losses.
- Don’t talk to the insurance company. Yes, you will need to report your accident and provide information on what happened. However, insurance companies frequently try to pressure car accident victims into settling for far less that what they deserve. When you hire an experienced attorney to handle your case, you can refer the insurance company to speak with him or her.
- Take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries. It is important to document your car, the at-fault party’s car, pieces that have been smashed off the cars, skid marks on the road and other visual aspects of the crash. Do you have cuts and bruises? These types of injuries clear up rather fast. By taking pictures, you provide a full account of the entirety of your injuries.
- Obtain insurance information from the other driver or drivers whenever possible. The police report should also include this information, but you want to have access to it as well.
- Provide as much detailed information as you can to law enforcement that arrives on the scene. Be honest about what occurred and your experience regarding the other driver’s negligence.