What Should You Do Right After An Accident – A Mandatory Guide for Everyone
Often, people wonder about what to do after a car crash. If you are wondering about the same thing, then we are here to tell you that the first thing you should do is to make sure you are safe. Also, make sure that everyone else is safe.
One effective way to ensure everyone’s safety would be to try moving your car out of the way so that the traffic doesn’t get disrupted.
Read on to learn more!
Calm Down And Collect Evidence
Now, even though this might seem like an easy thing to do, it is essentially tricky. You have to ensure that everyone is safe – but after the immediate shock has settled, you need to think about what potential evidence is there to collect.
You also need to know who the other person who hit you was and what their insurance is. Your car was damaged, so you will be filing for a settlement to get maximum compensation. You should take pictures and get the names of all witnesses.
Call the Police and Get A Copy of Their Report
The entire process will be easier if the police come to the scene and perform some crash investigation. This way, the police will be documenting everything for you. Although you are not supposed to leave everything to the police- you must ensure that you can collect some information at the scene so you have the information right away – at the very beginning of the case.
Call the Ambulance if You Are Hurt
Now, the question is, what happens if you are hurt? The answer is pretty simple: you want to call the ambulance. If you cannot do it yourself, then ask a bystander or someone you can trust to do the needful. Often, people don’t want to use an ambulance to the emergency room –but they are still hurt. They might be overly worried about their car and how they are going to get to work tomorrow.
Get Emergency Care – As A Trusted One to Take Care of the Car
However, none of this matters. The thing is that if you are injured, seek a doctor right away. On that note, if you are hurt and there is any chance that you need emergency care – go ahead and get into the ambulance. You can ask your family or someone you can trust to help you out with the car and figure out what is going to happen later.
No Matter How You Feel – Get Medical Care
The point is that you must get the care you need. But – if you are sort of filled with adrenaline –as it can happen more often than not – and you might not be sure whether or not you would like to get treated at that very moment – tell the police officer and be upfront about it.
You might want to let the police officer know that you think that you are hurt, but you also think that you are okay. You can tell the police officer that you don’t want an ambulance and that you will go to the doctor yourself.
Subsequently, you can get a family member or someone you trust to take you to the emergency room later that day. But keep in mind that we are mentioning again and again that you must get the care you need as soon as possible.
Tell The Doctor How You Feel
You want to have a doctor thoroughly examine you so that you can rule out whether or not you need surgery. It is unbelievably important to get the medical care and the medical treatments you need. The thing is that oftentimes, people ignore the importance of getting medical care because they believe that they will be okay and that the mild pain will subside.
Then, they get surprised when three to six months down the road – they develop some real health issues. However, by then, it is typically too late from a legal standpoint to prove in court or to the insurance adjusters that the injuries and health issues stem from the accident that happened six months ago.
Also, write in your journal every day about how you feel and what your pain level is for the day. Your lawyer will refer to it later at the time of maximizing your settlement amount.
Call A Lawyer – Even If the Accident Wasn’t Your Fault
It is important to mention here that a lot of times, when people are in a car crash, and the crash wasn’t their fault, they wonder why they needed a lawyer when the accident was none of their fault. The thing is that even though you know and have witnesses by your side who are supporting the fact that the crash wasn’t your fault, you will still need a lawyer. You need a trusted team of car accident attorneys to represent your case and take care of everything on your behalf.
If you believe that the judge or jury – even the insurance adjusters will believe you and work in your favor just that, then you are mistaken. The sooner you call the attorney, the better. Why, you might ask? Well, because the sooner you contact an accident lawyer, the sooner you will get good advice on your next steps.
With An Attorney By Your Side, You Know What to Expect
By hiring an attorney, preferably a personal injury lawyer, if you are seriously injured and are looking for maximum compensation, you will make sure that you know what to expect. You will know the amount that you can expect when dealing with the insurance company, which can take a lot of the hassle and scare you out of it.
You don’t necessarily need to hire an attorney right away – you can visit an attorney or speak to an attorney over the phone and ask for legal advice or consultation. The best attorneys usually offer free consultation and are happy to do so. Nonetheless, it is still in your best interest to call a lawyer right away and without delay.