If you have been in a car crash, you can be confused how to handle your case or what you should do immediately after an accident. The impact an automobile accident has on you physically, emotionally and financially can make it tremendously difficult to determine the best course of action. An auto accident lawyer can help assist you through each step of the legal process to ensure your rights are upheld and to help take many of your concerns away.
What to Do Immediately After The Collision
First, quickly assess the situation, and then contact emergency services. The 911 operator will help guide you until first responders arrive. Stay calm and avoid discussing the accident unless the police are present. Should the other party attempt to leave the scene, type their vehicle tag number into your smartphone rather than attempting to memorize it.
While waiting for the emergency personnel to arrive, you can also use your smartphone to document the scene. Share the clips only with your auto accident lawyer. Pictures are good, but videos can record sounds as well, which might be useful in your case. Additionally, obtain contact information from witnesses not directly involved.
Next Steps After an Automobile Accident
Once you are medically stable, contact an auto accident lawyer. Even if the other party said they would assume full responsibility, their word alone will not protect you. Without an attorney, you bear the legal responsibility for your medical bills, now and in the future.
Reasonable and fair compensation is almost impossible without an attorney. Insurance companies frequently offer victims money in exchange for signing legal releases, which forfeit your ability to get any further compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, mental anguish, etc. Do not sign an agreement or release without first consulting with a lawyer. Although the numbers might seem large, the insurance company is almost always trying to settle your case for less than what it is worth and many times without telling you that you could be responsible for repayment of all the medical bills and all health insurance liens. If an insurance offer seems too good to be true, it is.
Hiring a Lawyer
An auto accident lawyer can be very beneficial to your case. Lawyers who handle injury cases are vital in obtaining statements, gathering evidence, documenting your files and posturing the case to get you the best outcome as possible through negotiating with the insurance companies or representing you in any legal proceedings. You only have one case, so make sure you retain legal representation that is experienced in handling traffic accidents, local where you can meet them, has a good reputation in the community, and an attorney that charges a fair legal fee for their services.
Someone is injured in an auto accident every 15 minutes in Alabama, according to the Department of Public Safety. If you have become one of those victims, retaining an auto accident attorney is vital to your compensation. At Moore Law Firm, we have handled over 12,000 injury claims from motorcycle accidents to 18-wheeler accidents. Whatever the circumstances in your case, contact Moore Law Firm today for a FREE appointment to discuss what your legal rights are and how we can benefit your case.