What Should I Do If I Have Been Involved In A Car Accident?
Added on: 7/10/2009 6:45:34 PM
by: John P. Webb
What should you do if you have been in a car accident? Who should pay for your medical bills resulting from the auto wreck? Who should talk to your insurance company when they start calling you? Should you talk with the other party involved in the accident if they call you?
Hindsight is 20/20. All too often, by the time a lawyer gets involved in your personal injury case, a number of mistakes have already been made which can hinder your recovery. Because a claims adjuster, and ultimately, if necessary, a jury, will be looking at the totality of circumstances involved in your claim, it is important to act responsibly from the time of the accident forward. Here are some tips to follow.
1) First and foremost, obey the law. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, do not leave the scene of the accident. Dial 911 if you have that ability or ask someone else to do so;
By the time a lawyer gets involved in your personal injury case, a number of mistakes have already been made which can hinder your recovery
2) Document as much information as you can about the accident. Get the names of the parties involved in the accident. Get names, addresses and telephone numbers of witnesses. Get the name and badge number of the police officer involved. Get the name, address, telephone number, insurance provider and policy number of any other person involved in the accident. Obtain the vehicle identification information regarding all of the vehicles involved in the accident, such as make and model and tag number of the automobiles involved;
3) Make sure your treatment provider understands that your injury resulted from the automobile accident. If you are injured or think you may have been injured, inform the 911 dispatcher and law enforcement as soon as possible. If law enforcement asks whether or not you have been injured, do not rush to conclude that you have not. Often during an automobile accident, you will experience a rush of adrenaline which could mask the symptoms of your injury until hours and sometimes days afterwards. If you have been injured or think you may have been injured, seek medical attention immediately. Usually this means a trip to the emergency room. However, if you don’t begin experiencing pain until some time later, it may be appropriate to follow up with your primary treating physician. Either way, don’t delay;
4) Contact us as soon as possible. Do not contact the insurance company or talk to a claims adjuster until you have had the opportunity to speak with an attorney. Do not sign any documents or other paperwork presented to you by the insurance company or other persons involved in the automobile accident. After we have been contacted, we can guide you through the claims process as well as assist you in making sure that your medical bills are paid by the appropriate party, that your automobile is repaired, that you get the full value of the damage to your vehicle and that you get appropriate transportation pending the repair of your vehicle.
Keywords: automobile, wreck, car, auto, 18-wheelers, semi trucks, damages, driver, fault, stockbridge, metro, atlanta, georgia, henry county, locust grove, mcdonough, clayton, webb, john, attorney, motorcycle
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