There aren’t many other situations that are quite as stressful as being in a car accident. This is especially if you’ve managed to total your car and you’re sitting on the side of the road. You are waiting for assistance with debris covering the road and another party sitting across from you. In these situations, there are certain rules you must follow.
It is important to follow these rules to help yourself further down the line. You want to ensure you get the most out of your car accident as long as you aren’t the liable party.
What To Do Straight Away After Car Accident
First things first, you need to check to see if you are ok. It’s common that in these situations pain won’t be felt straight away as your body has gone into fight or flight mode and your adrenaline will be high as a kite. Take time to see if you’re ok and if you need medical assistance and call for it if required.
Other Parties
If there is another party involved in the car accident and you are well enough to do so, go and check to see if they are ok or need any medical assistance. Usually, you don’t want to converse too much with someone else that’s involved in a car accident. Whatever you do, do not say sorry. If you do this you’ll be accepting liability for the crash in verbal format. This can act against you later down the line. Just make sure the other people are ok.
911
911 is your next port of call, you need to report any accident you have. This is the case whether it’s small or large and will help you in the long run if you end up going to court. Police officers have a duty to file a report within 24 hours of reviewing an accident site. They are trained objectively so anything they see will be written down in a factual way.
Collect Information About the Car Accident
Once you’ve called the police it’s important you safely take a walk around the accident site and collect as much information about what happened as possible. Take photos and even draw diagrams if you think it will help your case. Doing this straight away will mean you can recall everything in as much detail as possible. In such a way it will be fresh in your mind. Waiting for a few hours then trying to remember a traumatic event is very difficult. It’s worth taking the details of the opposing party at this point as well which include their name, phone number, car details, and insurance details. This will be essential when you speak to your auto insurance company.
Contact An Attorney
Driving laws can differ from state to state. Despite knowing a reasonable amount about the road law, there will always be areas that will catch you out. It’s for these reasons hiring an attorney will be the best thing you can do. Having a professional in your corner ready and willing to fight for you will fill you with confidence. Not only that. They will bring a wealth of experience to your case and help build one that will win. The professionals at https://www.blumenshinelawgroup.com/chicago-car-accident-attorneys/ state that perseverance, experience, and true skill are essential to winning a case. This, combined with the information you give, will be the make or break of your case. There aren’t many situations where self-represented victims are in the winning corner.
Listen To Advice
Sometimes you will be given advice by your lawyer to do things such as attend more doctor’s appointments or therapy sessions. They’re saying it for a reason. Listen to whatever is said to you by your lawyer. It is important to ensure the best chance of getting the most amount of compensation. If you can prove that an injury or traumatic event is causing you to need to see a doctor or therapist 4 times a month then it’s going to seem more plausible than if you don’t need any attention whatsoever. On top of this, it’s just important to listen to professionals’ advice. You can really alter the course of your legal battle by not taking things seriously and going against the advice you’ve been given.
When it comes to car accidents, the best thing to do is be methodic with every step you have to go through, be thorough, and you’ll have a better chance of building a successful case and eventually winning. The first step is always taking care of anyone who might have been hurt, whichever “side” they’re on, and after that, listen to your lawyer and never admit responsibility for anything, even if it was your fault.
