News & opinion What to Do After a Car Accident

What to Do After a Car Accident

Car Accident Attorney

C

ccidents h

ppen eve

y d

y

ll ove

the United St

tes. In f

ct,

cco

ding to the N

tion

l High

y T

ffic S

fety

dminist

tion (NHTS

), the

e

e

e mo

e th

n <

h

ef=”https://c

shst

ts.nhts

.dot.gov/

pi

Public/Vie

Public

tion/812580″>2.1 million police-

epo

ted inju

y-c

using

ccidents<> in the United St

tes in one

ecent ye. Despite being so common, fo

most of us,

se

ious, inju

y-c

using

ccident is

ne

expe

ience. In

ddition, c cshes c

n le

ve victims diso

iented, upset,

nd unsu

e

bout

h

t to do next. It’s vit

l to unde

st

nd th

t

fte

n

ccident h

ppens, the insu

nce comp

ny fo

the

t-f

ult d

ive

st

ts doing eve

ything it possibly c

n to p

y out

s little

s possible—ovoid p

ying out

ltogethe

. Fo

this

e

son, it is C

ITIC

L th

t victims t

ke steps to p

otect thei

leg

l

ights

nd ensu

e th

t they get the compens

tion they dese

ve unde

the l.

If Necessy, Seek Immedi

te Medic

l

ttention

ften

ccident, the fi

st thing you should do is dete

mine

hethe

you need immedi

te medic

l

ttention. If you do,

ccept t

e

tment f

om eme

gency medic

l pe

sonnel

t the scene

nd go to the hospit

l, if you h

ve

ny medic

l conce

ns

t

ll. The

e

e

lys ys to obt

in info

m

tion

bout youccident

fte

the f

ct, including eye

itness st

tements, police

epo

ts, su

veill

nce foot

ge,

nd mo

e. F

iling to seek medic

l

ttention fo

n inju

y th

t

equi

es it could

esult in signific

nt h

m, so it’s

lys bette

to

the

be s

fe th

n soy

hen it comes to c

ccident inju

ies.

Not only c

n f

iling to seek immedi

te medic

l

ttention jeopdize you

he

lth, it could

lso p

ovide the insunce comp

ny

ith

n oppo

tunity to gue th

t

ny inju

ies you

e cl

iming e f

ke o

not

s se

ious

s you s

y they e. The y this gument goes is th

t if you

e

e

e

lly inju

ed, you

ould h

ve gone stight to the hospit

l

nd the f

ct th

t you didn’t is p

oof th

t you e not

e

lly hu

t. The

o

st p

t

bout this type of gument is th

t the insu

nce comp

ny kno

s full

ell th

t c

ccident victims e often in shock

nd full of

d

en

line

nd often c

n’t tell just ho

se

iously they’

e hu

t. In spite of this kno

ledge, insu

nce comp

nies

egul

ly t

y

nd deny cl

ims m

de by people

ho e se

iously inju

ed just bec

use they didn’t seek medic

l

ttention

ight

y. Fo

this

e

son, if the

e is

ny question

s to

hethe

you

inju

ies

equi

e immedi

te medic

l

ttention, you should go di

ectly to the ne

est hospit

l.

If You C

n St

y

t the Scene, G

the

Info

m

tion

In the event th

t you DO st

y

t the scene of the

ccident, collect

s much info

m

tion

bout the

ccident

s you possibly c

n. M

ke su

e to get the n

mes of the d

ive

s involved

s

ell

s info

m

tion

bout the

uto insunce

nd the vehicle they

e

e d

iving, such

s the m

ke

nd model of the vehicle

nd thei

license pl

te numbe

. If

ny comme

ci

l vehicles

e

e involved, m

ke su

e to t

ke note of

ny mkings th

t indic

te the comp

ny

esponsible fo

thei

opetion. In the

fte

m

th of

se

ious c

ccident, you

sm

tphone’s c

me is you

best f

iend. Do not hesit

te to t

ke pictu

es of the

fte

m

th of the

ccident, you

inju

ies, the d

m

ge to you

vehicle, the pl

ce

he

e the c

sh took pl

ce, onything you see th

t you think m

y be out of the o

din

y. Fo

ex

mple, if you see d

m

ge on one of the vehicles th

t you believe existed BEFO

E the

ccident, t

ke

pictu

e of it. In some c

ses, d

m

ged vehicles should not be on the

o

d

t

ll,

nd it’s possible th

t p

evious vehicle d

m

ge

s p

t of the

e

son you

ccident occu

ed

t

ll.

sk

ny eye

itnesses to youccident fo

cont

ct info

m

tion. In the event th

t you

c

se becomes contested, eye

itness testimony

bout the

y in

hich

n

ccident took pl

ce c

n often help p

ove

ho s

t f

ult. In

ddition, m

ke note of

ny su

veill

nce c

mes th

t you believe m

y h

ve c

ptu

ed you

ccident t

king pl

ce. Look both fo

c

me

s mounted on t

ffic lights

nd those on

ny buildings th

t m

y be in the vicinity. If you see

ny, keep in mind th

t foot

ge is often deleted on egul b

sis, so it’s impo

t

nt th

t you cont

ct

l fi

m immedi

tely so th

t he o

she c

n get st

ted on t

king steps to secu

e the foot

ge befo

e it’s no longe

v

il

ble.

See You

Doctond

equest

Tho

ough Medic

l Ev

lu

tion<

h2>
Once the initi

l shock of the

ccident is ove

, the scene is cle

ned up,

nd you e cleed to go home by eme

gency medic

l pe

sonnel o

hospit

l st

ff, you should c

ll you

docto

(o

docto

, if you don’t h

ve one)

nd

sk fo

tho

ough medic

l ev

lu

tion. You should do this even if you think th

t you

inju

ies en’t th

t se

ious o

e going to he

l on thei

o

n,

hy?

emembe

, the insu

nce comp

ny is going to do EVE

YTHING it c

n to p

y you

s LITTLE

S POSSIBLE. Just like

ith people

ho do not go to the hospit

l

fte

n

ccident, the insunce comp

ny c

n gue th

t the f

ct th

t you didn’t go to the docto

is evidence th

t you

inju

ies

e not

s se

ious

s you e cl

iming. In

ddition, if you do not h

ve offici

l document

tion

bout you

inju

ies, it’s much hde

to p

ove thei

se

iousness

nd th

t the

ccident c

used them. In f

ct, the longe

th

t you

it to see the docto

, the hde

it c

n be to collect compens

tion fo

you

c

ccident inju

ies. In some c

ses, the insunce comp

ny m

y gue th

t some event in-bet

een youccident

nd you

cl

im

s the

ctu

l c

use of you

inju

ies

nd m

y t

y

nd deny you

cl

im completely. Fo

this

e

son, see

doctos soon

s you c

n

fte

youccident

nd be

s desc

iptive

s possible

bout you

inju

ies. Fo

ex

mple, if you

elbo

is

bit so

e

fte

you

ccident

nd you think it’s b

uised o

you

neck is stiff, TELL YOU

DOCTO

. The mo

e det

il th

t goes into you

medic

l

eco

d

bout you

inju

ies, the bette

.

hen it comes time to m

ke

cl

im, this type of document

tion c

n m

ke getting the compens

tion you dese

ve much e

sie

.

St

y off of Soci

l Medi

<

h2>
These d

ys, m

ny of us sh

e impo

t

nt life events (

nd not so impo

t

nt life events, like

h

t

e

te fo

b

e

kf

st) on soci

l medi

pl

tfo

ms like <

h

ef="http:

/

.f

cebook.com/”>F

cebook<>, <

h

ef="http:

/

.t

itte

.com

“>T

itte

>,

nd <

h

ef=”http://

.inst

g

m.com/”>Inst

gm<>.

hile

c

ccident

nd its

fte

m

th m

y seem like something th

t is undoubtedly sh

e-

o

thy, it’s impo

t

nt to keep in mind th

t soci

l medi

posts c

n hu

t you

c

ccident cl

im

nd m

y even

esult in the insunce comp

ny denying you

cl

im completely?

Ho

?

emembe

, the insunce comp

ny

ill do

NYTHING to

educe the

mount p

ys you. Th

t’s thei

business model. They h

ppily collect p

emiums f

om thei

custome

s eve

y single month, but

hen it comes time to p

y, they do eve

ything they c

n to

void it. This includes t

olling you

soci

l medi

posts fo

nything they could possibly use

s evidence th

t you

e

e

t f

ult fo

youccident o

e f

king you

inju

ies. Fo

ex

mple, if you posted something

bout ho

you h

d

ecently sent

text o

th

t you

indshield

s di

ty befo

e you

ccident, the insu

nce comp

ny could t

y

nd use th

t

s evidence th

t you

e

e p

ti

lly

t f

ult fo

the

ccident th

t inju

ed you. Like

ise, if you posted pictu

es of you

self out

ith f

iends, t

ying to get some exe

cise, o

doing

NYTHING

T

LL th

t m

de you look h

ppy in the le

st bit, they m

y t

y

nd use those posts

s evidence th

t you e not

e

lly inju

ed

nd e f

king.

nd don’t m

ke the mist

ke of thinking th

t just bec

use you

p

ofile is set to P

iv

te th

t you

e s

fe f

om thei

p

ying eyes.

emembeho you e de

ling

ith. Insunce comp

nies h

ve ys to get into you

p

iv

te p

ofile to monito

you

posts,

nd the

e h

ve even been

epo

ts of insu

nce comp

nies m

king f

ke p

ofiles to connect

ith o

f

iend

ccident victims so th

t they c

n keep

n eye on

h

t they e posting.

s

genel

ule, st

y off of soci

l medi

fte

c

ccident

hile you

cl

im is pending. Th

t s

id, if you h

ve posted

nything, do not delete it,

s you could f

ce

ccus

tions of

ttempting to dest

oy evidence,

hich could get you in se

ious t

ouble. If you h

ve

ny questions

bout you

soci

l medi

use

fte

n

ccident, c

ll ou

expe

ienced c

ccident l fi

m

s soon

s you c

n.

Do Not Give the Insunce Comp

ny

eco

ded St

tement

M

ny insunce comp

nies p

essu

e

ccident victims to p

ovide

eco

ded st

tement. They often tell victims th

t

st

tement

ill help them “p

ocess”

cl

im o

th

t they

on’t be

ble to p

y out if they do not p

ovide one. None of this is t

ue. The only

e

son th

t the insunce comp

ny

nts victims to p

ovide

itten st

tement is in hopes th

t they

ill s

y something th

t c

n justify

educing thei

settlement offe

.

emembe

: The Insunce Comp

ny Is NOT on You

Side<

h2>

s

c

ccident victim going th

ough the cl

ims p

ocess, pe

h

ps the most impo

t

nt thing to

emembe

is th

t the insunce comp

ny is not on you

side

nd does not

nt to p

y you

nything.

s esult, you should t

ke

skeptic

l vie

of

nything they

nt o

s

y to you – no m

tte

ho

nice the pe

son on the othe

end of the phone seems. Insunce

djuste

s m

y even get bonuses fo

p

ying out

s little

s possible, so you c

n be su

e th

t they e not looking out fo

you

best inte

ests. Some of the t

icks th

t insu

nce comp

nies use to minimize the

mount they p

y out include:
  • s discussed

    bove, p

    essu

    ing

    ccident victims to p

    ovide eco

    ded st

    tement<

    li>

  • equesting ove

    ly b

    o

    d

    utho

    iz

    tions to dig th

    ough victims’ medic

    l

    eco

    ds, hoping to find

    NYTHING they c

    n use to ch

    cte

    ize thei

    inju

    ies

    s “p

    e-existing conditions”<

    li>

  • iting fo

    medic

    l bills to st

    t piling up befo

    e m

    king

    settlement offe

    , kno

    ing th

    t victims

    ill be unde

    fin

    nci

    l p

    essu

    e to

    ccept

    lo

    e

    offe

    <

    li>

  • M
    king

    n un

    e

    son

    bly lo

    settlement offe

    in the fi

    st fe

    d

    ys follo

    ing

    n

    ccident, hoping to get to victims befo

    e they h

    ve h

    d

    ch

    nce to spe

    k

    ith

    n

    tto

    ney

    nd befo

    e they h

    ve

    e

    lized the full extent of thei

    economic

    nd non-economic losses

These

e just some of the

ys th

t sh

dy c

insu

nce comp

nies m

y t

y

nd t

ick you into t

king

settlement less th

n you

c

se is

o

th o

s

ying something th

t could justify denying you

cl

im. To unde

st

nd just ho

unsc

upulous they c

n be, conside

this: if

n

djuste

st

ts

conve

s

tion

ith you

ith “Ho

e you doing tod

y?”

nd you

eply “fine,” the insunce comp

ny m

y t

y

nd use youesponse

s evidence th

t you e not

e

lly th

t hu

t.

et

in Ou

Expe

ienced L Fi

m

s Soon

s You Possibly C

n<

h2>
Fin

lly, the single best y you c

n p

otect you

leg

l

ights

ften

ccident is to

et

in

n <

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

se

vices

c

ccident-

tto

ney-houston

“>expe

ienced c

ccident l

fi

m<>

s soon

s you c

n. You

leg

l te

m

ill tho

oughly ev

lu

te you

c

se

nd dete

mine f

om

hom you m

y be

ble to

ecove

. In

ddition, you

l fi

m

ill t

ke the time to figu

e just ho

much you

c

se is

o

th, t

king into

ccount you

medic

l expenses, the d

m

ge to you

vehicle, you

lost income,

nd non-economic d

m

ges like you

p

in

nd suffe

ing

nd lost qu

lity of life. Best of

ll,

hen you’ve

et

ined

l

fi

m, you

leg

l te

m

ill h

ndle

ll communic

tions

ith the insunce comp

ny on you

beh

lf, ensu

ing th

t you don’t get t

icked into s

ying something th

t could hu

t you

cl

im

nd letting you focus on the most impo

t

nt thing—you

physic

l

nd emotion

l

ecovery.

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