What To Do After A Car Accident
1. Call The Police After A Car Accident
What to do after a car accident? That's a very good question, and it's something that if not handled right, can have negative consequences on your case. The first thing you should always do is call the police or call for emergency personnel. One, it allows a law enforcement officer to investigate how the accident took place and establish who's at fault.
It's very important in dealing with a case like this. The second thing, the law enforcement officer is going to document the different parties who are involved and complaints of injuries that were suffered on scene, and it's also a good bird's eye view to get the officer's impression about how the accident happened, the severity of the accident, the damage to the vehicles, and in some places, some jurisdictions, law enforcement will also take pictures of the accident as it's fresh on scene. This can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case.
2. Seek Medical Attention If Required
The second thing you should do is get yourself evaluated by medical personnel immediately. That could mean getting an ambulance going from the accident scene directly to the emergency room, and if you're not injured to the severity where you need to be taken away by ambulance, then I would encourage you to drive from the accident scene directly to an emergency room, and get yourself treated, X-rays if necessary or an MRI is warranted.
More importantly, you're having a doctor document your injuries. You do that from the time of the accident up until you have that opportunity, it will save you a lot of headaches. One of the things you want to avoid is what's called a gap in treatment. Insurance companies will punish you if you take too long to get medical attention.
3. Document Everything After An Auto Accident
What we encourage clients to do is take pictures at the scene following a car accident. If you have visible injuries such as bruised skin, cuts, broken bones, anything that can be used to impress upon a jury or a judge that, "Hey, this is not a frivolous claim, I was actually hurt and I was hurt very badly." So pictures, as the old saying goes, a picture's worth a thousand words. Well, in our line of business, pictures are worth thousands of dollars.
4. Contact An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Call an experienced personal injury attorney, preferably one that has litigation experience. Why is that important? Well, lawyers who have litigated cases can start framing the issues and collecting evidence from day one. We do that because we know that every case has the potential to be put in front of a jury or a judge to be tried. Most cases are settled without a trial, but you never know if your case is going to be one of those that are heavily contested by the insurance companies, and you want an experienced trial attorney that can start preparing your case for trial from day one.
It will also bolster and improve the chances of a higher settlement if it's handled properly from the beginning. That's the other thing that we would encourage you to do. If you don't call us, call someone that's experienced. Our number is (404) 526-9955 and we have two offices conveniently located in Griffin GA and Marietta GA. Feel free to contact us for a complimentary case review.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for your information only. It is not legal advice and should not be used as such. Results obtained previously do not guarantee any outcome. This information does not create an attorney-client relationship and reading and using this information is not the formation of an attorney-client contract.