Automobile accidents are the leading cause of injuries in the United States, resulting in thousands of catastrophic injuries and deaths each year. According to the NHTSA, in 2005 there were 2.68 million injuries and over 43,000 deaths due to auto accidents.
Auto accidents can occur for many reasons, including distracted drivers, heavy traffic, and drunk drivers.
The law entitles you to damages and compensation for your injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident if your injury is a direct result of the car accident and the accident was caused due to another persons negligence. Victims of auto accidents can sustain medical, emotional, and financial damages.
Car accident victim injuries can include whiplash, head and brain injury, and damages to joints, bones, and muscles. Physical injuries can be costly and rob you of time spent with your family and friends, the ability to earn a living at work, and much more. An injured person may recover damages for lost earning capacity, reasonable medical expenses, permanent impairment, compensation for lost property, and pain and suffering. These damages can include both present and future expected losses.
If you are involved in car accident, keep these helpful tips in mind:
Report the Accident
If you are unable to call, ask somebody else to call the police to report the accident and inform the police of the number of people who are injured, so that enough emergency personnel respond to the scene. Advise all the proper agencies of the occurrence. This may include your own insurance company, filing a police report and the company/person who owns or controls the site where the injury took place.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you don’t require emergency medical care, consult a physician as soon as possible. Some time might pass before you are fully aware of the extent of your injuries. Certain injuries may not be apparent until sometime after an accident. Consulting with a doctor may prevent any delay in your treatment and any aggravation of your injury. Even minor soreness can be an indication of a more significant injury.
Identify the Parties Involved
You and the other driver should exchange information, including the other drivers name, address, phone number, drivers license number, license plate number, insurance carrier, policy number, and agents name and telephone number. Get the names, phone numbers and addresses of anyone who saw what occurred. Obtain identifying information from any witnesses to the accident, and ask the police officer who investigates the scene to provide you with a business card and the incident number, so that you can obtain an accident report.
Take Pictures
Take several photographs from every angle of the scene of the accident, any visible injuries, and of the vehicles.
Keep a Diary
Identify any unusual changes in yourself. This may include all pains and aches, changes in behavior, memory loss, etc. Ask family members or friends if they have noticed any changes in your behavior.
Document all of your losses, including medical bills, reasonable transportation costs related to the injuries, future medical treatment, lost wages, future loss of earnings, the effect on your family, and the effect on your life. An experienced attorney can help you identify all losses that may be related to your accident.
Don’t Settle Your Claim with the Insurance Company Until You Know What it is Worth
It is a simple fact persons represented by an experienced and qualified attorney recover substantially more money on their insurance claims. Insurance companies are sophisticated. When it comes to injury claims, many major insurance companies have a policy consisting of the 3 Ds – Deny, Delay, Defend. If and when an insurance company does offer a settlement, it is often far less than your claim is worth.
Seek Advice from an Attorney
The Crosley Law Firm offers free initial consultations, with no cost or obligation. Even if you don’t hire our firm, we are still willing to sit down with you and discuss your legal options. Many times we have been able to significantly increase a client’s settlement over what the insurance company was offering before we became involved. This is because we know how these cases are evaluated by the insurance companies and the court system.
We are known for being fully prepared when we go to court, and for maximizing our clients’ chances for winning their case. Because the insurance companies and defendants know this, we are able to get a large percentage of our cases settled without going to court. And when we do go to court, we usually win. Of course, every case is different, but when taking on a large corporation or insurance company, an injured person should always hire an experienced lawyer who specializes in the area of law involved.
Dealing with the consequences of an automobile accident can be confusing and stressful. At the Crosley Law Firm, one of our experienced attorneys can help you navigate through the often complicated process and help you receive the proper compensation for you injuries and damages. Also, unlike some other law firms, every case at the Crosley Law Firm is handled by an attorney, not an assistant. The Crosley Law Firm handles serious automobile, motorcycle and vehicle cases throughout the country. Contact us now if we can help you.
If you or someone you know has been involved in an automobile collision, car accident, car wreck or car crash, call The Crosley Law Firm, P.C. at (210) 354-4500, complete the contact form or e-mail us for a no cost, no obligation consultation.
