The First Steps to Take to Preserve Your Claim If You’re in a Car Accident
Getting into a car accident is not only scary, but can also be a logistical nightmare when having to deal with the fallout with insurance companies, doctors, lawyers, and mechanics. Therefore, if you were injured in a car accident, it’s important that you take certain steps to ensure you have the best chance of recovering for your injuries in a personal injury lawsuit. Failing to do so may weaken your claim to proper compensation in court.
Seek Medical Attention if You Think it’s Necessary
You may think that everything is fine after an accident, but keep in mind that symptoms of injuries may occur a few days or a week after the injury. If you start feeling “off” or notice any symptoms start to show up, consult your doctor for a check-up right away.
Take Photos
The most important step any person in an accident can do is to take photos of everything. If you’ve suffered any bruises, cuts, or other injuries, be sure to take photos immediately. Even if you did not suffer any life threatening injuries, photos can illustrate your pain and suffering for a jury, which may strengthen your claim.
It’s also important that you take photos of the accident scene immediately following the accident and before the cars have been moved. If possible, take photos of the entire street from several angles before the cars have been moved. If the light was green or red, take a video of the flow of traffic to help illustrate the manner in which the accident occurred.
Finally, take photos of the damage to both cars immediately following the accident. Doing so will also help a jury or judge understand the severity of the accident.
Gather information
Aside from documenting your injuries, it’s also imperative that you get as much information from the other driver as possible. This includes their name, home address, phone number, an insurance information. Be sure to find out the name of their insurance company and their policy number. In addition, ask any witnesses what they saw happened, and collect their information as well.
Notify your insurance company
To ensure you receive money for your injuries, you’ll want to make sure your insurance company and that of the other driver’s has been informed. Even if you were hit by an uninsured driver, your own insurance company needs to know about it. Failing to report your accident immediately may be detrimental to your claim down the road.
Contact Us
Don’t underestimate the power of following the above steps to preserve your claim and ensure you have a higher chance of recovering. If you’ve been in an accident, call our dedicated trial attorneys at Inkelaar today at 1-877-537-4665.