Car accidents are traumatic, life-changing events. They can lead to high medical costs, economic uncertainty due to lost work time, and emotional distress for you and your family.
Prioritizing your health and seeking medical attention immediately following the accident is important. Documenting the accident scene, taking pictures, and recording witness statements is also necessary. Click the Maryland Car Crash Lawyer to learn more.
Car accidents can be scary and confusing, extremely painful, and even life-altering. They can cause injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, loss of property, and, in the worst cases, death. Fortunately, our experienced car crash lawyers can help you navigate the process and get the compensation you deserve.
Getting medical attention after a car accident is crucial for your health and legal claim. Even if you don’t feel any pain or visible symptoms, it is important to see a doctor immediately. This will ensure that any underlying injuries are identified and treated early, and it can also help prevent future complications from developing. In addition, seeing a doctor immediately after the accident will provide official documentation of your injuries, which can be helpful in your legal case.
Many people are hesitant to seek medical treatment after a car accident because they don’t think they are injured. However, it is important to remember that the adrenaline rush after a car accident can mask some signs of injury. It is also possible that some injuries, such as internal bleeding, concussions, PTSD and whiplash, don’t show up until much later.
The first thing you should do after a car accident is check for any injuries and call 911. Once you’ve done that, it is a good idea to exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver(s). Lastly, take pictures or video of the scene if possible.
If you are able, you should also try to talk to any witnesses at the scene. They can help you prove your version of events and may be critical in determining who was at fault for the accident. They can also tell you if the other driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The police will then arrive and complete an accident report – this is vital to your legal case. It’s important to have a copy of this document. You can get it from the police or from the DMV. Having this documentation is essential in proving your injuries and establishing a clear link between the accident and your health problems.
Document the Details of the Accident
It’s essential to take photos of the accident scene, including damage to vehicles and other property, injuries, as well as any other factors that could have contributed to the crash. This information will help your attorney reconstruct how the accident happened and support your claim for compensation.
In addition, you should always obtain a copy of the police report from the scene. These reports are often the cornerstone of insurance claims and legal cases. They can include details that are easily forgotten or lost, such as weather conditions and road conditions at the time of the accident.
Documenting details can also be as simple as recording the names, contact information, and statements of eyewitnesses. These witnesses can provide valuable, unbiased accounts of the accident, which will reinforce and corroborate your own account of what occurred. Witness testimony can also bolster your case for compensation, especially in the event that any of your own memory of the accident is questionable.
While a thorough understanding of the facts and evidence of your case are essential, a comprehensive approach to documentation is even more crucial. The details may seem minor at the time of an accident, but they can make a big difference in the outcome of your case. For example, capturing skid marks at the scene of the accident can help prove that one party failed to maintain control of their vehicle and contributed to the collision.
Another important detail to record is the position of any nearby traffic lights and signs at the time of the accident. If there is an object obstructing a traffic light or if the sign is oddly positioned, this can help your lawyer determine how the accident happened and who was at fault.
Lastly, you should also keep records of any expenses incurred as the result of the accident. This can include medical treatment, car repairs, and other related expenses. Keeping track of these bills will show that you are truly injured and that you deserve compensation for your losses.
Although you may be feeling shock and trauma after the accident, it is still important to record the details of what happened. Memories fail, and yours may be no exception. Thorough documentation can protect you if you are found to be partially responsible for the accident, as California follows comparative negligence laws.
Don’t Talk to the Insurance Company
It may seem counterintuitive to not talk to the insurance company after a crash, but that is usually in your best interests. Insurance companies are in the business of putting their own financial interests first, and they will often try to get you to say something that can hurt your case or prove your fault for the accident. In addition, insurance representatives are often trained to encourage you to give them the wrong information that can hurt your case.
Many car accident insurance companies will contact you after a crash, and they may ask you to provide them with a recorded statement detailing what happened. They might also ask you about your injuries and the extent of your property damage. In most cases, you are not obligated to speak with insurance representatives and it is almost always a bad idea to do so unless you are instructed to by your attorney.
In some cases, insurance companies will quickly issue a settlement offer to close the case and get it out of your hands. However, it is important to remember that these settlement offers are rarely accurate and do not reflect the true value of your claim.
When an insurance company calls you, they will likely act casual and as though you are just having a conversation. However, their goal is to find any reason they can to deny your claim or pay out as little as possible. They will do whatever they can to frame the accident as an unavoidable accident that was not your fault and minimize any financial responsibility for the crash.
Insurance representatives might ask you about how the accident occurred, and what your opinion is about what caused it. You should only provide short and simple answers that are not loaded with details and speculating about how the accident occurred. These types of conversations can be used against you by the insurance company, and it is very easy to say something that could hurt your claim.
You should also not discuss the accident with friends, family members, coworkers, or anyone else besides your car crash lawyer. Well-meaning people in your social and professional network might accidentally say something that hurts your case, or even disclose confidential or private information.
Contact an Attorney
Car accidents can be terrifying experiences. The physical injuries are often severe, and it may take weeks or months to recover fully from the effects of a crash. In addition to medical bills, a victim may experience financial losses due to lost wages and property damage. It is important to seek legal representation in order to obtain compensation for these costs.
An attorney can help you to establish liability, calculate your damages and negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company. Having an experienced car accident lawyer by your side can protect you from unscrupulous claims adjusters who are looking for ways to devalue your claim or deny it altogether.
Many car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they do not get paid unless they win your case. This allows them to align their interests with yours and ensure that they will fight for the full amount of damages you are entitled to receive. A skilled attorney will have access to a network of experts, including accident reconstruction specialists and medical professionals, to help support your claim.
There are certain deadlines that must be met in order to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation for your losses. An attorney will be familiar with these laws and make sure that all necessary paperwork is submitted before the deadline passes.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may need to file a police report. The police can provide valuable information that can be used to help your claim. They will document the scene of the accident, and include information that could be easily forgotten or misinterpreted over time, such as weather and traffic conditions at the time of the accident. They will also ask for contact information of any witnesses.
While no dollar amount can make up for the pain and suffering you have experienced, a financial award can ease some of your burdens so that you can focus on recovering and moving forward. A lawyer can help you to determine the cost of your non-economic losses and request these damages as part of your claim or lawsuit.