“MAKE SURE TO ACT QUICKLY”
by Contributor
(Oct. 14, 2019) — A car accident is a stressful, confusing and disorienting time in a person’s life. Once you hear the crunch of metal, you may not know what your next steps are. Making smart decisions after a collision ensures that you protect yourself. After all, you may be injured and need medical care, and you will no doubt want to repair your vehicle. Using the following procedures as a guide ensures that you take the right action, document the events and use this information with a lawyer so you are not blamed for the accidents and receive the compensation you deserve.
Stay at the Scene of the Accident
The moments after collision can be jarring and confusing. You might be hurt or in shock. Take a breath and assess the situation. Do not leave the scene of the accident, even if it is to go and get help. You do not want to ever be labeled as a hit and run driver or the person who caused the accident. By staying at the scene, you ensure the car is not moved and further damage is not done. Call for help or flag down another driver if you need support calling the police or 911.
Assess the Damage and Injuries
Next, take stock of any damage that has been done. This includes any injuries. Do you have whiplash? How is your back feeling? Did anyone get tossed around the car? Walk around the vehicle and take photos of any damage. Look under the vehicle and even look for scratches too. By verifying injuries, you can call for medical help as soon as possible. Injuries can mean expensive medical care, so it is important to identify these early, especially if you might need to hire a Los Angeles car accident personal injury lawyer. Take photos if there is visible bruising or even wounds.
Contact Law Enforcement
Do not delay in calling the police after an accident. You want an accident report filed. This will include important contact information from all of the parties, and it ensures you have proper documentation. Any experienced auto accident lawyer would recommend calling the police, even if there is only minor damage to the vehicle. There could be more going on beneath the hood of the car, and you may not know you have been injured if you are in shock.
Stay Calm and Exchange Information
The scene of the accident is where all key information should be shared. You want everything from the license number and contact information of the other driver to their names, insurance information and even the police officers who arrived at the scene. Do your best to stay calm and positive and do not admit any fault or error. Even saying something simple like, “I’m sorry this happened,” could be used against you later in court and affect compensation. If there are other drivers or witnesses, get their names and contact information too.
Photographs Are Important
Take as many photographs as possible at the scene of the accident. This means documenting the vehicle damage, the area of the accident, and the other car too. If there are skid marks on the ground, document this too. The more information you have for a car accident personal injury lawyer, the better prepared you will be to defend yourself and gain compensation.
Seek Professional Care
Do not avoid the effects of an accident, especially the emotional and mental impact. Some people try to suck it up and deal with it on their own. You might lose sleep, experience panic attacks or even miss work because of this. Consult with a mental health professional if you are experiencing stress, loss of sleep and depression after the accident. All of this is normal. Lawyers want you to receive the care you deserve. There is no bonus to soldiering through stress.
Journal the Events
After the accident, the documentation continues. Take the time to jot down the date, time, and description of any pain, stress and loss of work. This is a chance to chronicle the full extent of your injuries after the accident. Take the time to keep all medical records and try to be specific if you are losing sleep because of anxiety, depression or other effects of the accident. If the other party reaches out, do not respond and direct them to your auto accident lawyer. Make sure to keep track of this: screen-shotting the conversation, if possible. If you have to miss a family vacation or start seeing a therapist, this should be included too. Basically, any change in your life after the accident needs to be recorded.
Keep It Private
Be very careful about talking about the accident. Your words might be twisted and used against you later. Definitely avoid speaking about the collision on social media. If someone asks about it, keep your answers vague or even say that you cannot talk about it. When in doubt, consult with your auto accident lawyer. They are there to guide you in the right direction.
Quickly Secure a Lawyer
As soon as possible, hire expert West Coast Trial Lawyers for your personal injury and car accident needs. Do this even if the other party says their insurance will pay. You do not know the amount of compensation you could receive, and it is important that an expert is advocating on your behalf. They can secure compensation for more than just the vehicle’s damages. Instead, you could receive help with medical bills, pain and suffering, mental health visits, loss of work and more. You also do not know if your medical situation will persist for years or not. A lawyer can fight for future medical expenses or even temporary disability.
Communicate with Your Lawyer
Give your attorney real time updates on everything from the accident to how you are feeling. Open communication is imperative. You should talk to them about how the accident has affected your personal and professional life. For example, are you feeling sluggish and unmotivated at work? Is your marriage suffering because you are irritable and losing sleep? Are you going to therapy, and are you in pain? An experienced auto accident lawyer in Los Angeles should know all of these answers so they can fight for you in court and with insurance companies.
If you have been in an accident and have experienced car damage or injury, make sure to contact professional West Coast Trial Lawyers. Legal professionals are there to protect your interests and help guide you through the aftermath of an accident. They are there to fight for you in court, communicate with the insurance company and more. Make sure to act quickly. If you wait too long, it could negatively affect you.