There are some important steps you need to take after getting involved in a car accident to ensure that you strengthen your case and make it harder on the defendant’s lawyers. Read on to find out the best ways to get the best recovery from an injury, then contact an experienced injury attorney like Craft Law Firm in Waco.
After a car accident, it’s crucial to take strategic steps to strengthen your case. For the best recovery from injuries, consider consulting expert personal injury litigators like Craft Law Firm in Waco. Their seasoned professionals guide you through the complexities of the legal process, ensuring meticulous evidence documentation and effective communication with insurance companies, ultimately enhancing your chances of securing optimal compensation.
Do The Right Thing After An Accident
You may think that the first and only thing you need to do is call the best personal injury lawyers but this isn’t the case. There are several other things you should do before doing this in the event of a car accident. If you want to receive the best care, then you need to ensure you are doing everything by the book. Keeping everything above board will ensure you don’t get in trouble later down the line.
After you have been in a car accident, you need to get pertinent information from the other driver, any passengers in their vehicle, and anyone else who was affected by the accident, such as pedestrians or cyclists. You will need to exchange your name, address, phone number, email address, and car insurance information.
Roadside Decorum
Another thing that cannot be stressed enough is that when you get into a car accident, you do not want to say or do anything that is going to affect your case, whether that is speculating how the accident happened or taking the blame for the accident. Let the experts do their job, and let an attorney argue for you.
The courtroom is not on the shoulder of the road, and so you should not be getting into any confrontations out there about the accident. It is understandable that tensions will be high as well as adrenaline, so be polite and exchange the information that you need.
Do keep in mind that in some states, it is required by law to show your driver’s license to the other driver if they ask for it. In the state of Florida for example, if you are asked to show your driver’s license to anyone involved in a crash, that includes the responding police officer or even passengers of the other affected vehicle, then you are required to.
Seek Medical Attention
As soon as paramedics arrive at the scene of the accident, it is important to request or accept immediate medical assistance from them. One reason why it is important to you is that the insurance company may deny or reduce the amount that they pay and damages for any medical expenses that you incur if you wait too long.
They will claim that an unrelated event caused your injuries and that if you truly were injured then you would have wanted to seek relief sooner.
The other reason why you want to seek medical care as soon as possible is that there is a statute of limitations that determines how long you have to file a personal injury claim to collect damages from the liable party. As time goes on, the physical body changes and evidence deteriorates, so there is a time limit on how long someone can bring forth a suit because of how time has that effect on evidence.
While it is different for every state, such as two years in the state of Florida and five years somewhere else, it would be very difficult to argue a year later that an injury you are currently suffering from was based on that event and not anything else unrelated that occurred afterward. Overall, the best thing to do is to talk to an attorney posthaste to help with recovering from an injury.
Call An Attorney Right Away
An attorney from a personal injury law firm will be able to get started on calculating your economic and non-economic damages and conducting any necessary research that is relevant and integral to your case.
There are two types of damages, economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can be calculated by adding up your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. But non-economic damages are those that can’t be added together just by looking at your medical bills. These include things like pain and suffering, such as the loss of quality of life.
If your accident has caused a significant strain on your marriage or your relationships, then those could be included in your damages.
Statute of Limitations
As was mentioned earlier, there is a time limit that you have to file a personal injury claim. According to 1800injured.care, the sooner you call an attorney, the less likely you are going to face an issue of running out of time to file your claim.
Speak To An Accountant Or Attorney About Your Settlement
If your case settles before going to court, then you may receive a check within about two weeks after your attorney has negotiated the settlement for you. If you need to receive payments while your case is being deliberated in court, however, then you will need to speak to your personal injury attorney about your financial concerns.
You may also want to speak with a tax expert for guidance on how to pay taxes on your settlement money, if applicable. For example, compensation to cover physical injuries or physical sickness is usually not taxable as income unless you previously claimed any medical expense deductions related to that same injury or condition.
By consulting the appropriate experts for your questions, you can ensure you get the compensation you deserve.