Car accident compensation claims can be a complex and tedious process. In this article, you will learn how to proceed after being injured in a car accident resulting from another driver's negligence. These instructions will help injured victims begin the process of recovering compensation through a personal injury claim.
Knowing the proper steps to follow after a car accident injury can give you an advantage when it comes to filing a personal injury claim against a negligent party. Continue reading to learn more about this process and what you should do if you were just injured in a car accident as a passenger, or at the fault of another driver.
Steps Towards Filing an Injury Compensation Claim:
As soon as a person is hit or involved in a car accident that is not their fault, never leave the scene. There are several responsibilities to see through first in order to accurately handle a compensation claim. Primarily, understand that you should NEVER admit any liability at the scene of the crime when talking to the opposing driver, police, paramedics, or witnesses.
The first thing to do is call for an ambulance and receive immediate medical assistance at the accident site; be sure to do this even if you think you are not hurt. If you do not have a medical record on file, you will have a harder time trying to obtain compensation for your damages.
Once you hang up and emergency services are on their way, immediately call the police. It is vital to make a police report at the scene of the crime, even if the at-fault driver drove off. It is just as important to get a medical report on file at the scene of the crime as well.
Do both these tasks before anything else. If the medical response team believes you require extended medical care, allow them to transport you to the nearest hospital. Once you are discharged from the hospital, another series of important steps need to be accomplished and completed.
Even if you are not discharged from the hospital, as soon as you are healthy enough to make a phone call, proceed to the next series of steps. If a person is in a coma or incapacitated, a friend or family member can complete these next vital steps.
The first thing you need to do, once you have filed a police report and received medical care, is to call a personal injury law firm as soon as possible. When we say "as soon as possible", we mean the same day as the accident, or the following day. In most states, there is a statute of limitations decreeing a legal amount of time that a person has to file an injury claim against another party. If you wait too long, you may not be eligible for compensation.
Once you are on the phone with a personal injury attorney, you are in good hands. They will handle and organize every single detail of your case. This includes gathering all necessary documents; such as police reports, medical records, witness statements, expert testimonies, and more. They will also conduct all communications with your insurance company and the opposing insurance adjusters; as well as, opposing counsels, judges, stubborn doctors, and more.
Source by Sarahbeth Kluzinski