“What do I do after a car accident,” is short question, but there’s a lot to answer there.
First, take care of yourself. If you’ve been injured, get the treatment you need, whether that means taking an ambulance from the scene to the ER, following up with your family doctor, or going to an urgent care for evaluation.
Second, if you have time at the scene, get photos that show property damage, the position of the vehicles, the road conditions, and any special features that may have affected the wreck, like other vehicles parked in the road, buildings or trees that limit visibility, or anything that you think might be important. A picture is absolutely worth a thousand words. A video recorded can be worth much more than that, especially if the defendant is drunk or acting unruly or rude at the scene.
Third, contact an attorney to determine what your rights are. Some cases you can handle yourself rather than hiring a lawyer.
If you ARE going to hire a lawyer, make sure it’s someone who puts your interests first. Our firm is not a volume practice, so we give every client the individual attention they deserve. We also take cases to trial, which is increasingly rare.
Fourth, get your property damage handled as quickly as you can. In most cases, you can do this on your own, but we provide some resources like this one on how to get a rental vehicle and this one on how to get your property damage claim started.
Fifth and most importantly: don’t be bullied by the adjusters. Get the treatment you need, and follow your doctors’ orders above instructions or suggestions from an adjuster. Your first goal always has to be getting better from your injuries.
At the Miller Law Group, we’ve handled thousands of car accidents and other personal injury claims. With more than 50 years of combined experience and over 100 jury trials, our lawyers know how to help you handle your personal injury claim. We’ll fight to get you the best result we can, whether that means taking the case to trial or settling the case before or after filing a lawsuit. Every case is a little different, and we know how to look for those differences and evaluate how they affect your individual case.
Contact us by clicking here or calling 919-348-4361 for a free consultation. We’ve got your back.
