3 Tips from Lawyers to Keep in Mind After a Car Accident

Exercising caution when driving is important for many reasons. If you’re not careful, you run the risk of putting both yourself and others in harm’s way.

That said, it is possible to be injured in a car accident even if you’re a generally responsible driver. Many accidents result from the negligence of others.

If you’re injured in a car accident, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills and other such losses. How you go about doing so will depend on whether you live in a fault state or a no-fault state.

In a fault state (also known as an at-fault state), you can seek compensation for your losses by filing a claim to collect from the insurance of any negligent parties responsible for your accident. If you live in a no-fault state, you would seek compensation by filing a claim to collect from your own insurance.

Regardless, your odds of securing fair compensation will typically be higher if you enlist the help of a car accident lawyer. Attorneys also recommend that car accident injury victims keep certain tips in mind after their accidents. They include the following:

Exchange Information

Check yourself for injuries and get to a safe space away from traffic in the immediate aftermath of a collision. Once you have, exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the accident. Resist the urge to place blame and instead remain as calm as possible. You must also avoid making any statements that some might perceive as admissions of fault.

Report the Accident and Gather Evidence

Call the police (calling 911 is sufficient if you don’t know the number of the local police station) and report the accident. When the officer arrives, cooperate with them without blatantly saying anything that indicates you caused the accident.

While you wait for the police to arrive, get the names and contact information of witnesses who saw the accident happen. It’s also wise to document the scene by taking pictures of both the scene itself and any signs of injury.

See a Doctor

Prioritize seeking immediate medical care after your accident. Some accident victims make the mistake of not seeing a doctor after a collision because they don’t believe they have been injured.

However, sometimes the symptoms or signs of an injury resulting from a car accident may not be perceptible until days later. In some instances, it can take weeks for it to be apparent that an accident caused an injury.

That means some victims don’t receive early treatment that could otherwise have helped them recover more quickly. It’s also worth noting that making the mistake of not seeing a doctor right away after an accident can jeopardize a victim’s chances of recovering proper compensation.

In an effort to avoid paying a victim, an insurer could suggest that there’s little proof indicating the injuries a victim sustained were genuinely caused by their accident and not another incident that may have occurred later.

Once more, it’s also a good idea for victims to seek legal representation when filing claims or lawsuits after accidents. While a victim focuses on their recovery, their attorney can focus on helping them collect what they may deserve.