What To Do After A Car Accident
What to do After a Car Accident
Depending upon the severity of your car accident, you could be rushed to the hospital by ambulance or helicopter or waiting in pain on the scene. If you’re reading this, you’re likely looking for answers on what to do after a car accident. First and foremost, your immediate medical concerns need to be addressed. Nothing is more important than your health and safety, everything else can wait. If you’re currently lost in the process of dealing with the post-car accident reality, it’s a good idea to speak with a lawyer who has experience helping car accident victims.
Your Immediate Medical Concerns
Your health and safety should always come first. In very serious crashes, you probably won’t even have a choice of going to the hospital. You might not even remember your ambulance ride or airlift. Perhaps, you’ve just been checked and bandaged up at the scene. No matter what the case, your health and immediate safety come first. For car accident victims who get to go home directly after a crash, it’s absolutely critical to see a doctor as soon as possible. Car accidents are likely to get adrenaline pumping, and you might not feel the pain of injuries until much later in the day or a few days later. Getting checked out assures you that all of your medical needs are being addressed.
Documenting Your Car Accident
If you haven’t been transported to the hospital, and you’re still on the scene, do the best you can to document your car accident. Put that smart phone to use and take pictures. Get witness information and call local law enforcement authorities to come make a report. This documentation can be used as evidence in your case. The more documentation, pictures and witness statements you get, the better. This will also be a good time to exchange insurance information with the other driver or drivers.
Exchange Insurance Information
With all hope, you weren’t involved in a hit and run and the other driver is fully insured. Make sure the other driver writes his or her information down as legibly as possible. Even better, ask to see the other driver’s insurance card or proof of insurance. Take a picture of it and immediately email it or text it to a family member so you know you will be able to retrieve it.
Call an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Finally, call in some professional help. You might feel pretty capable of handling your own case, but don’t count on your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company to be helpful. Even if you just talk to an attorney during an initial free case consultation, you’ll be better prepared to make sure your medical bills, property damage and lost wages are properly compensated. An attorney can be your advocate and deal with pushy insurance companies.
Dealing With a Pushy Insurance Company
Sure, you’ve been paying your insurance premiums faithfully for years. You’ve never had an accident or even had a reason to use your insurance. You might have a feeling of relief, because you’ve got full coverage, but don’t get too comfortable. Insurance companies, even many of the larger reputable companies, are well known for being pushy and difficult to deal with, even for their own innocent policyholders. Don’t think that because the accident wasn’t your fault that the insurance company will treat you differently or with respect.
Why You May Not be in “Good Hands”
At the end of the day, insurance companies are looking out for their own bottom lines. The name of the game is saving money and increasing shareholder profits. It’s not about actually taking care of injured policyholders. Many well-known, popular and reputable insurance companies are well known for denying and delaying claims in attempts to wear down policyholders into taking smaller or inadequate settlements. This is an important reason to call an attorney after your accident. You need a personal injury lawyer who isn’t going to take any runaround from the insurance companies. You need a lawyer who knows their tricks and is going to be on your side.
What to do After a Car Accident in Jackson
In addition to getting your immediate medical and personal safety needs addressed, documenting the scene and calling a lawyer should be your next step. Don’t talk to the insurance company or give out any details about the accident before at least speaking with a lawyer in an initial free consultation. Insurance companies want nothing more than to twist your words and deny and delay your claim. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact the skilled and proven team at Coxwell & Associates, PLLC at (601) 265-7766 for a free case consultation today. You’ll be glad you did.
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