Take pictures of the wheel position, skid marks, wall damages, property wrecks, and the local area. These are crucial information for filling the puzzles of liability.
You experience a car accident and go through a lot of psychological pain – calm down and do the following steps to ensure an insurance claim. The insurance company can complicate the process sometimes, and the best way to deal with this is not to deal with it. Yes! Hire a professional car accident lawyer to manage all the insurance hassles.
Contact the wolf of law street and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation – An attorney by your side during the entire process will not only boost your confidence but also ensure smooth processing of the compensation. The first consultation is free and gives you a better understanding of the local lawyers. Check with the team if they are willing to take the case and then share the accident details.
Car accidents are one of the most traumatic experiences that leave you with both physical and psychological suffering. Any panic will ruin the situation and put you in more considerable trouble. But as soon as you face a car crash, calm down and pull yourself together.
Here is a list of what you can do after a car collision:
- Do not leave the accident spot: Always come out of the car and ensure that you stand safely and not anywhere closer to the road. Stay away from the vehicle if there is the possibility of fumes or explosions. If you are kind of alight with minor injuries, remain in the same place, or you will be at risk of a hit-and-run case.
- Seek medical help immediately (if you need one): Thoroughly self-check and look for any injuries. Move your limbs and check for signs of bleedings or burns. Once you are confident about self-health, exit the car and move to a safe spot. If you can pull over the vehicle then, move it to a safe place too. If you feel breathlessness, dizzy, or bleeding profusely, then call 911 immediately. If there are mild injuries and you feel okay, then also inform the 911 team. assured
Do not assist others beyond necessary—only pull out people from evident external danger (fire or fumes). Try not to move anything if it’s not essential.
- Inform the police: Call the police after you are out of dangerous condition. If there are no significant injuries, inform the local law enforcement officer and request them to notify the authorities. Whether the accident is big or minor fender-bender, it’s always a smart idea to call the police. You can use the police report, an official document that gives the authentic details of all the people involved in the incident. The law enforcement officers can ensure anyone under drug or alcohol influence or even driving without car insurance.
- Collect the personal details and insurance information: Keep a record of the personal data of all the drivers involved in the accident. The information must include name, contact numbers, driver’s license number, and car insurance details. Be quick in taking this, and instead of noting it down, quickly take the picture on the phone. Ask the other driver to text you the details.
If you find any witnesses you are willing to help, then take their details also. It is an excellent groundwork before filing for an insurance claim. Your insurance agent or lawyer might ask for these details and testimonials for building the case. Also, take the details of the responding officer, like the name and the badge number.
- Collect all the evidence: Make a note of the details like the position of cars (take pictures), general description of the vehicles, model details and make, year, picture of license plate. Make intelligent use of your smartphone and take photos and videos. These are solid evidence to build strong proof for an insurance claim. Furthermore, if you file a lawsuit, then this is preliminary information for the car accident attorney.
Image by Gellinger, via Pixabay.com.
Take pictures of the wheel position, skid marks, wall damages, property wrecks, and the local area. These are crucial information for filling the puzzles of liability. You can also collect recordings from local cameras and traffic CCTV.
- Beware of your statement: It is normal to panic, but you must be careful to release any information or opinion. Watch when you open your mouth at the sight of an accident. Do not get scared and admit to any fault. When you acknowledge any liability at the scene of the accident, you create trouble for yourself. Never lie to the police or law enforcement office.
- Make notes: Naturally, memory fades away sometimes, and the best way to remember what exactly happened is to write everything down. Keep note of more minor details like location (be specific), time and date, the direction you were heading, your exact location during an accident, other car details, and any vital information.
- Inform your insurance company: The most critical step is notifying the insurance company about the accident. You can do this by calling the insurance agent, and after asking few questions, you can proceed with the claim. The first condition of any insurance policy is to prompt notification that could trigger the claim. Failure to do this or delay will cost you a lot. The insurance company might decline the claim or complicate the process.
The accident is separate from your insurance claim. Understand that your insurance coverage claim is different from the accident and does not have any obligation to file a lawsuit (if any). Hiring a car accident attorney will support in ascertain the advantages and disadvantages of filing the claim.
- Cooperate with an insurance agent: The insurance company is always a challenge, but this does not mean that you do not cooperate with them. Answer all their questions and provide them all the proofs to get faster claim amounts. Sometimes the insurance agency denies the claim. The possible caveat is that there is criminal liability for the accident; you must approach the attorney. The legal expert shall ensure that you do anything that might bring bigger problems for you.
- Maintain records: Keep all the documents properly – hospital recovery bills, ambulance charges, surgery, emergency room fees, doctors’ receipts, and any proof substantiating your injury claim. Sometimes the insurance claims linger for long, and you can use these records to add pressure on the agency to faster the process. Even keep the emails and text messages safe.
- Avoid signing anything: You must know that your signature is validation to any document. In case of an accident, there will be several situations when you will have to sign the documents and release statement papers with signature; avoid it. Do not sign anywhere till you are 100% sure about what it holds. And if you are unsure the use your Miranda rights and refuse. Inform the authority that you will seek the guidance of an attorney and then only sign the documents.
- Avoid settling privately: The most crucial pointer after any car collision is settling the case privately with the driver or insurance agent. Never even try to sort things and always involve the law enforcement office or police. You will jeopardize the case if you try to settle things, and it will also fall under illegal action. You might face additional charges for this.
How to pay for the lawyers?
Well, this is a debatable topic because it depends on every lawyer. The payment for an automobile accident attorney is sometimes an hourly fee or sometimes a flat fee. However, the most popular type is contingency fees which means you only pay after the settlement. But many lawyers charge on an hourly basis. The prices are regardless of the win or loss of the case. There is a monthly payment that shows on your account for the amount.
A flat fee is very rare in car accidents cases because the work is also specific. The lawyer will only carry few specific jobs and seek payment for it. The lawyer will agree to prepare certain documents for you to file the case in court and charge for it. Any additional service will have its fee. You take it or leave it.
The best option is going for no win – no fee type of payment. Here you get the assurance of winning the settlement and are in a better position to pay your attorney for all their support and hard work.
Beware of the statutes of limitation.
Do not fall under the ‘statutes of limitation’ clause, which doesn’t allow you to file a lawsuit after a specific time. There is a time window to file for the case, and you must better get it checked from the attorney.
Conclusion
Choosing a lawyer is an intelligent decision but also a challenging one. Strike a contract with the local legal experts instead of hiring someone from another state. All the states have different laws, and therefore, the attorney must have the know-how of local rules. The attorney will guide you in case they are unable to take the case due to license issues.
Go for filing the lawsuit only if it’s imperative or tries to get the claim from the insurance and avoid any further complications. But even for handling the insurance hassle, you need an attorney, so do not hesitate to call immediately.
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