ExecutiveChronicles.com | What to Do Following a Car Accident | Nobody is prepared for a car accident before it happens. We can’t predict them, and can’t be sure how bad they turn out when they arrive. Here are some steps to take following a car accident, to make sure that everyone gets what they deserve out of it, and you’re protected if your injuries don’t get covered.
Seek Medical Help
The most immediate thing you should do after a car accident is to assess the injuries of everyone involved. If someone is severely hurt, don’t wait- get them to the hospital. Someone else can complete the following steps; they don’t need to put their life at risk to ensure they have evidence of the crash.
Anyone unharmed, or harmed lightly enough to carry on, can follow the next few steps.
Exchange Information With Other Driver
Get each other’s contact information and insurance information. This step will protect you in the long haul and allow you to assess injuries as well. Don’t apologize or accept guilt at this stage.
Take Pictures of Scene
We’re lucky enough to almost always have a camera in our pockets these days. Take photos of the accident, including a photo of their license plate, if possible. Anything that seems essential to the case: take a picture. Hopefully, you won’t need these later, but it’s better to get armed with them just in case.
Contact Insurance
Let your insurance know that you were in an accident. If it’s not your fault, you can contact the other driver’s insurance and see if it will cover your costs. If either coverage pushes back, you’ll need to talk to a St. Louis car accident lawyer.
Follow Up With Lawyer
Tell the insurance companies, or the other party responsible, that you have a lawyer and will be looking at getting a case going. Sometimes the threat of a lawsuit is enough to make insurance companies back down from their stern stances.
Personal Injury Lawsuit
A personal injury lawsuit can be a drawn-out ordeal. You’ll need to be able to prove that the injuries you sustained, either physical or psychological, have had a real effect on how you live your life. Your lawyer will do anything they can to help you win your case.
Settle or Go To Court
Only two percent of personal injury lawsuits ever make it to a judge and jury; most settle out of court. If you’re offered any amounts by the insurance companies that cover what they owe you, and you’re satisfied, you can choose to settle. If not, you can take them to court and work to win your case.
Heal
A car accident is an overwhelming thing to go through. Take the time to heal, mentally and physically, and let yourself move past the crash. You deserve to have a life unaffected by it, even if injuries from it have physically changed you. Go to therapy, speak to people who have been through the same things as you, and try to live your life as comfortably as possible.
