Car accidents have been spiking at such a rapid rate that statistically you have a considerable chance of being at the receiving end of such an accident at least once in your life. The resultant car accident injuries vary in intensity from some mild ones like whiplash to severe ones like a subdural hematoma.
Therefore, whenever you are a victim of a car accident, you have every right to file a personal injury lawsuit by hiring a competent attorney like auto accident lawyer in Atlanta to get your due compensation. But, you need to know the course of action beforehand so that you would know what to do immediately when faced with such a situation. Therefore, we have discussed here five effective ways you can adopt to protect your claim after a car accident so that you can get your due compensation.
Examine Your Injuries
First and foremost, you have to check your injuries and every passenger in your car to get a hold of the medical condition of all the victims. You may notice some evident injuries like bruises, cuts, fractures, and bleeds. But, if you did not suffer any evident injury, do not get lax because there are certain injuries like concussions that do not show themselves on the surface.
Therefore, get medical attention immediately by calling 911, as it will immediately take you to the hospital. If you have anyone nearby who can drive you to the nearest hospital, call them immediately because they will be able to take care of the medical paperwork for you.
Move to A Safe Place
While you are waiting for your escort to take you to the hospital, move to a safe place but keep close to the accident scene so that you can talk to law enforcement when they arrive. Do not touch anything on the accident scene, and only move your car if it is proving to be a real hazard for other vehicles on the road.
You may want to help out the perpetrators of the accident, but it would be advisable to not move them because they may have suffered serious injuries and you can worsen them in a bid to help. However, you can help them out by calling 911 on their behalf so that they can get medical attention as well.
Do Not Leave The Scene Without Talking To Law Enforcers
You must not leave the accident scene before talking to law enforcers, and in some states like Louisiana, it is considered a crime to leave an accident scene. Talking to a law enforcement agent is crucial because you need to give your account of what happened on the road.
He will use that information to make an accident report with details, like the cause of the accident, injuries suffered by the victims, the damage inflicted on both the vehicles, and the party responsible according to the officer. If you have suffered grave injuries and are in no position to talk, you have no option other than leaving the scene. In such a case, the law enforcement officer will come to the hospital and talk to doctors about the injuries, and will not create a report until you can speak.
Notify Your Insurer
Once you are done talking to the law enforcement officer and are waiting for your escort to the hospital, make a call to your insurance company to notify them about the accident. This will ensure that you get compensation for your medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages. The representative of the insurance company will soon come up with an offer after he has evaluated the circumstances of your accident. But, do not take that offer without consulting your attorney.
Contact An Attorney
Contacting an attorney will relieve you from a lot of stress associated with legal matters of these things, and their presence will contribute significantly to consolidating your claim. Remember to gather all the evidence of the crime scene like photographs, video recordings, and then give it to your attorney as they will know how to best use them to consolidate your compensation claim.
