Nobody plans on having an accident, but people sustain injuries because of them every day. Hopefully, this won’t happen to you, but knowing what to do after an accident is essential in case it does.
You can file personal injury claims for many kinds of accidents if someone else causes them. In these cases, the guilty party’s insurance company should pay for the damages resulting from your injuries. However, no insurance company wants to pay any more than they must. Having the right knowledge as well as hiring a personal injury lawyer can drastically increase the amount of compensation you receive.
Do You Know What To Do After an Accident?
The first things you do after an accident are critical for your health and your potential personal injury claim. Motor vehicle accidents fall under the personal injury category, along with many other types of situations.
1. Get to Safety
If you are a car accident victim, move your car out of the roadway if your vehicle is drivable and moving it is safe. This allows other traffic to flow and reduces the risk of secondary crashes.
If you’re in a different type of accident, you still need to get out of any danger zone. For instance, debris in a construction accident can shift, causing further injuries. Do what you can to minimize the danger.
2. Assist Others
Other people may suffer injuries as well. If your condition allows it, try to at least assess other accident victims. You might be able to provide first aid, and a detailed description of the types of injuries involved in an accident helps dispatchers to send appropriate first responders to the accident scene.
3. Notify Authorities
For many accidents, you’ll need to call the police. Although many people may be dialing 911, you should call yourself to be sure. You may have details that other people don’t. Tell the operator where you are, what happened, how many people are involved, and what kinds of injuries they have.
Notify management if your injury occurs at a business, such as a slip-and-fall accident.
If police officers respond to your accident scene, they should make an accident report. This report includes many vital details, and your personal injury attorney can use it as evidence.
4. Use Your Smartphone
One of the most important things you can do after an accident is to gather evidence, and your phone is the best way to do that. Regardless of the type of accident, use your phone to take multiple pictures of the accident scene. If you’re in a vehicle crash, take photos of:
- Injuries to yourself and others
- Vehicle damages
- The entire accident scene from different points of view
- Witnesses
- Skid marks or other traffic details, including potholes or debris in the road
- Weather conditions
- The location of any surveillance cameras in the area
- Any other information that investigators can use to determine who or what caused the collision
Use your phone to video witness statements. Also, record your version of the events.
Record similar details with photos and videos of any other kind of accident. In a slip-and-fall accident, for instance, evidence can quickly disappear. Take pictures and video of water on the floor, electrical cords in a walkway, and missing light bulbs so your personal injury lawyer can use your recordings as evidence.
5. Exchange Information
You’ll need to exchange contact and insurance information with other drivers involved in motor vehicle collisions. Also, attempt to get contact information for all witnesses.
6. Get Medical Attention
After the shock of an accident, people often mistakenly think their injuries aren’t severe. It’s vital to accept medical attention for different reasons. If authorities don’t send medical personnel to the accident scene, go to a doctor or hospital after you leave.
Many injuries aren’t immediately apparent. Internal bleeding and whiplash are two possible examples. A medical examination can spot issues that aren’t visible. This can potentially save your life.
Your initial medical assessment provides a baseline for your personal injury claim. Insurance providers may say that you didn’t sustain your injuries in the accident to try to avoid paying compensation for your damages. A professional medical assessment prevents insurance companies from refusing to compensate you.
7. Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury attorneys help injured accident victims in several ways. Not only can we negotiate a maximum settlement with insurance companies on your behalf, but we can also:
- Perform a thorough investigation of the causes of your accident to gather evidence for your case
- Speak to witnesses
- Advise you about your next steps
- Assist you in filing insurance claims
- Complete and file other necessary paperwork
- Serve as your spokesperson with insurance investigators and representatives
In Arizona, you have two years to file a personal injury claim from the date of the accident. However, hiring a personal injury lawyer immediately after your accident lets us get started gathering evidence in the first critical hours after it.
How Can Your Lawyer Advise You on What To Do After an Accident?
Your Phoenix car accident attorney has your best interests in mind with everything they do that involves your case. Because of that, you should listen to our advice.
While it’s important to know what you need to do after an accident, you also need to know what not to do. Don’t:
- Admit to any degree of fault
- Speak to insurance company representatives without input from your attorney
- Discuss details of your case with anyone
- Make any social media posts about your accident or injuries
Why Can You Trust Sargon Law Group?
The attorneys at Sargon Law Group have years of experience in handling personal injury claims. Although you might not know what to do after an accident, we do. Request a free consultation so we can assess your situation and tell you how we can help you.
Many people worry that they can’t afford to hire a lawyer. To make it easier for you, the Sargon Law Group team works on a contingency fee basis; you won’t pay us unless we help you recover compensation for your damages.
You can reach us 24/7 at (623) 225-5635 or contact us online. Let us work on your case so you can work on healing.