Important steps to take after a car accident

If you happen to be involved in a car accident, you will likely have no idea what you should do next. With police, insurance companies, other drivers and their attorneys, and others coming at you from every turn, you will feel bewildered.

When this happens, you are likely to make a variety of mistakes that can prove to be key in keeping you from gaining the compensation you deserve for injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Instead of making mistakes that may create more difficulties in your life, always find the best personal injury lawyer to assist you in this matter. By doing so, they can advise you as to the steps you should always take to protect your legal rights.

STAY AT THE SCENE

When involved in a car accident, never let yourself panic and thus leave the scene prematurely. If you do, you will not only lose out on the chance to speak to police and witnesses about the accident, but also put yourself in the position of having police charge you with hit-and-run.

GET TREATMENT FOR THE INJURIES

Since you will be very upset at having been involved in a car accident, you may think you are not seriously injured. However, due to your adrenaline running at an all-time high, chances are there are indeed injuries that require medical treatment. From concussions and broken bones to neck injuries and possibly internal bleeding, it is crucial you allow medical personnel to evaluate you and provide you with medical treatment. If you don’t, it will be much harder for your car accident lawyer to prove your injuries were indeed the result of your auto accident.

CALL 9-1-1

If your injuries do not prevent you from doing so, call 9-1-1 immediately to get police and rescue personnel to the accident scene. This will be important, since police will begin to investigate the accident and submit an accident report stating what they believe caused the accident. Once this report is submitted, always have your car accident lawyer obtain a copy, since the report will contain key elements that can be used in planning your legal strategy.

SAY VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE ACCIDENT

While you will need to speak with police, the other driver, and witnesses at the scene, let common sense prevail and say as little as possible until you have spoken to the best personal injury lawyer about the accident. If you fail to heed this advice and say something that others take as you admitting fault for the accident, it will be much harder to win your lawsuit.

In fact, saying something as carefree as “I’m sorry” may be used by police, insurance companies, and others to say you admitted the accident was your fault. If you find this happening to you, contact attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers to schedule an immediate consultation.

Take Photographs of the SceneIf you have a working smartphone, pull it out and begin to take pictures of the accident scene. The pictures you take should include damage to all vehicles involved in the accident, any visible injuries you or others sustained, damage to nearby property or to personal property you had with you, and traffic signs or skid marks that could be indicative of the other driver being negligent or careless while behind the wheel.

GET STATEMENTS AND CONTAT INFORMATION

When speaking to other drivers involved in the accident, always get contact information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers. As for talking to witnesses, get the same information as well as statements regarding what they saw that led up to the accident occurring. If you can, use your cellphone to make an audio or video recording of your conversation, then give this and other information to your car accident lawyer. This will be important, since it is likely your attorney will want to interview witnesses to the accident.

Since there can be many variables that ultimately decide if your lawsuit will be successful, pay attention to even the slightest details in these matters. To ensure you have the best personal injury lawyer working to protect your legal rights from beginning to end, contact an attorney at https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/ca/los-angeles-car-accidents-lawyer/ for a consultation.

UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS

The simple fact is that being in a car accident is always a cause for concern. There are so many ideas that can be used when it comes to dealing with this, and you have to make sure you take steps to prepare for and understand the legal repercussions involved. It is vital to make sure you know what this process entails, and there are a lot of things to think about here. One of the key things to keep in mind is that you might be in a position to file a compensation or personal injury claim, and you need to be aware of what this involves. This is something you’re going to need legal help and support to make the most of right now, and you need to ensure you get this right. 


You also need to be aware of how you might be impacted by this accident. Did you cause it? If so, ity might be the case that your license is under threat, and this means you might need to look at applying for a hardship license, depending upon your circumstances. You will need to understand exactly what this involves, as well as being able to come up with factors and ideas that will allow you to make this application. Make the best decisions for the future right now, and try to ensure you have the right legal aid to help you post-accident. The more you can do to get this right, the better it is going to be moving forward these days.


Photo Credit: Newspress

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