Anyone who has been involved in a fender bender can tell you that it can be a pretty scary experience. But while most car accidents tend to involve an exchange of details and bent bumpers, others can result in incredibly serious injuries that put a huge stain on your life and finances. While there is no real way to ease through the pain and suffering, with an understanding of your rights and the steps to take in order to reduce the effect it has on your life, it is possible to see a light at the end of the tunnel. We will discuss six practical tips that you can utilize if you find yourself in this situation and hopefully regain a sense of normalcy once more.
Hire A Lawyer If The Situation Is Serious Enough
The decision to involve a lawyer will really depend on the severity of the incident and how challenging you are finding it to deal with the respective parties (another driver with no insurance, insurance companies, etc). But one thing is sure: if your accident has caused you significant damage either to you, your vehicle, or both, then this step may be your best course of recourse. Unfortunately, car accidents seem to be becoming more prevalent throughout the US, and according to Zdrilich Injury Law, there are thousands of incidents each year in Atlanta alone, not to mention the rest of the country. Consequently, it is more likely than not that you will be involved in some form of accident during your driving life, and if it’s bad enough, having a lawyer by your side can make a world of difference. These legal professionals can typically help in a variety of ways, including:
- Helping you to deal with insurance claims
- Getting you compensation to help cover lost wages and medical costs
- Investigate the accident details
- Gain witness testimony to help you if you choose to bring the case to court
- Deal with the police regarding incident reports
- Work with your doctors to ensure they offer the medical data you need to substantiate damages in your claim
They can assist you in many more ways, but perhaps the most critical is that you will have somebody by your side who will fight for your rights and do everything within their power to ensure you will never be out of pocket.
Document Everything
Regardless of how serious the accident is or whether you intend to prosecute it, you should always make an effort to collect as much relevant information as possible. In practice, this extends from the crash scene, where you would take photos of any injuries and damage to vehicles, to fishing out the most current pay stubs from your work to prove your income and, therefore, how much you stand to lose from lost wages. This is a vital component of making things right after the fact, as without enough proof of your costs and anguish, it will be incredibly challenging for any court to place a price on your suffering and could result in a substantially diminished outcome. Obviously, if you have been hospitalized as a result of the crash, it will be a little more challenging to perform these tasks yourself, which is why hiring an attorney could be your best approach. They are best positioned to dig deeper and draw out anything that may be viable to your position.
Exchange Information With Other Parties
Exchanging information is the age-old tradition of trading insurance and contact information with other parties involved in the accident. In most cases, this should go without a hitch since all you are doing is giving out the contact information of insurers who should (at least in theory) deal with each other. By performing this action, you are not admitting liability but rather making sure that you walk down the correct route so that if there is anything untoward, you cannot be blamed. Things may become sticky if the crash is serious enough to warrant hospitalization (in which case you won’t be blamed for providing your insurance details later) or if the other party is uninsured. The latter point is, unfortunately, much more common than most folks believe. If you find yourself facing off against someone who doesn’t have the requisite insurance, you will definitely need to involve a lawyer.
Don’t Admit Fault Or Apologize
I’m sure you have heard it mentioned before that you must never admit fault in an accident, but do you know the reason why? In most cases, as soon as you acknowledge that you are at fault and it has been documented, you will forgo any recourse to compensation because you will have been deemed the negligent party. However, since most people are brought up with a sense of right and wrong, it is often second nature to apologize in order to diffuse the situation. But if you want to do things correctly, you must bite your tongue.
Contact Your Insurance Company ASAP
After exchanging information with the other individual engaged, or even if no one else was involved, your next step (baring seeking medical care) must be to contact your own insurer. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will be able to receive funds to cover your costs. Delaying this action for too long could also prove highly detrimental to your preferred outcome, as many insurance providers are remiss to pay out and will find any excuse not to. In some circumstances, involving a lawyer in the process might also be prudent as they are better positioned to argue on your behalf and convince them of your situation.
Be Cautious Of Settlement Offers
In some cases, you could find yourself dealing with an uninsured driver who is prepared to pay you a certain amount in order to keep things out of the legal system. While it is entirely up to you how to proceed, refusing any offer you receive is advised. You never truly know the full extent of the damage you or your vehicle has sustained, but by accepting an early settlement, you automatically close off any other avenue you might have had to procure the actual amount you deserve.
Being involved in a vehicle accident is a bad experience, but it’s even worse if you don’t know what to do next. The advice in this post is not exhaustive, but it should provide you with enough information to ensure that any route you wish to take will prove fruitful.
