Even minor car accidents can lead to major problems. Making sure you know what to do after a car accident can make dealing with the aftermath of vehicular onslaught easier – if not exactly easy. Ury & Moscow, Attorneys and Counselors at Law state that more than 6 million accidents happen in the U.S. each year, and about 30% result in an injury.
Having an injury attorney can help you after a car accident by dealing with insurance companies, navigating all the legal legwork, and preparing to take your case to court should this prove necessary.
What To Do After a Car Accident
The things you should do after a car accident are pretty specific. Allstate Insurance reports the things you should do immediately upon getting into a wreck include:
- Check yourself, your passengers, and the occupants of the other car for injuries. Call emergency services (or ask a bystander to do so) if someone is seriously wounded.
- Call the police, even if the accident is minor and no damage or injuries are apparent at the time.
- In an area of major traffic, try to get the vehicles out of the way — otherwise, wait for the police before moving anything.
- Turn on your hazard lights or set up emergency road flares to alert passing cars of the obstacle.
Information to Gather From a Car Accident
When the police arrive, they may ask a lot of questions. The most important thing any car accident lawyer can tell you is do not admit fault. In fact, according to The Balance, most car insurance contracts require you refrain from accepting responsibility for a car accident. Take as many pictures as possible of any damage to the vehicles and any injuries to people involved in the accident. Make sure to exchange information with the other parties, particularly: name, contact information, insurance company, insurance policy number, drivers license number, make, model, and color of car, and license plate number. Getting names and numbers from any bystanders can be helpful as well, as this provides a way to get ahold of witnesses later in the process.
What To Do In the Days After a Car Accident
The police may not be able to come to the scene of a minor accident, so you should go make a statement at the police department once everything has been taken care of. If emergency services don’t examine you, go to the doctor in the next day or two. This is extremely important! Even if you don’t feel hurt, there could be something going on that has yet to make itself known. Furthermore, even a minor injury can get worse over time. When you start working with an accident attorney, this trail of paperwork can make your claim easier to substantiate.
Keep copies of absolutely everything — request a copy of the police report, get copies of your medical paperwork, and keep all the information about the other driver and any potential witnesses. File all of this paperwork together where you can easily access it.
How Can An Attorney Help Me With My Car Accident Injury Claim?
Once insurance companies start getting involved, whether or not you feel capable of handling everything is likely to make itself obvious pretty quickly. If the injuries you sustained are serious, trying to prove your innocence can make recovery time take much longer. According to AllLaw, most lawyers “work on a contingent-fee basis,” which means you don’t have to pay unless you win your case.
The best part of this— aside from not paying a substantial amount of money while you’re trying to heal and handle accident-related problems— is that there really is not much of a reason not to hire an accident injury attorney.
Hiring an accident injury lawyer ensures someone is on your side throughout the process. If your accident turns into an injury claim, an injury attorney can help you figure out how to prove the car accident wasn’t your fault. Your attorney will also help you gather any evidence you might have missed, or (if you did not know to gather such information at the time) track down witnesses and police reports.
Injury Attorneys Understand Vehicular Accident Laws
Perhaps the most helpful aspect of hiring an accident attorney is simply their knowledge of the related laws. For example, the statute of limitations on filing a car accident claim in most states is two years. Car wrecks in Missouri, however, actually have a five year statute of limitations.
Furthermore, if a minor is involved or any fatalities resulted from the accident, your lawyer will know how this can impact your case and the statute of limitations on it.
Additionally, your attorney will know the best defenses to use — and the best way to counteract any claims made by the other party. If your claim cannot be settled, your attorney will be prepared to take your case to court.
Injury Attorneys Are On Your Side
Accident injury attorneys can also help you in any contact between insurance companies. An insurance adjuster will look at all the information— police reports and any other pictures or evidence submitted— and decide who was at fault. Some drivers, unfortunately, are uninsured, which means it can be virtually impossible to get any compensation.
Your attorney will know what you deserve compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, or anything else you should receive monetary support for. You will certainly want an attorney on your side to fight a battle like that and to help prove the car accident wasn’t your fault.
Your Car Accident Lawyer Knows How Much Your Claim Is Worth
The monetary award a victim is entitled to can also vary based on the type of injuries sustained. Staver Accident Injury Lawyers says some of these injuries can be difficult to prove. An opposing attorney may try to argue injuries are made up or not as bad as you say. Having a knowledgeable attorney who understands the different types of injuries and how different kinds of accidents can impact those injuries will make a huge difference in your efforts to receive recompense for pain and suffering.
If you have been in a Missouri car wreck and need help, the time has come to call the Missouri Injury Recovery Institute. Our car accident injury lawyers are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. IRI will make sure you are not unjustly accused of fault, and we will take care of all the work so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Call MII today at 866-986-1395 or visit our website for a free consultation.
