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What to Do After a Car Accident
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What to do after a car accident

What to Do After a Car Accident

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If possible, you want to clear the roadway after the accident and pull your car over to the shoulder. This can ensure that you and your vehicle are out of the way of approaching vehicles. However, if you cannot move your vehicle, make sure you turn on your hazard lights so that other cars can see your vehicle and get yourself and others involved in the crash to a safe spot away from the road.

Following a car accident, you need to call 911 immediately. Not only is this the quickest way to get your crash on record, but it is also the fastest way to notify emergency medical personnel that you or another person at the scene needs immediate medical attention. 

Once the police arrive at the scene, they can investigate the car collision and document their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue a legal claim, this documentation can provide you with valuable details regarding the incident, including what happened and who may have been at fault. 

If you do not require immediate medical treatment and the area is safe, try to collect as much evidence from the crash scene as you can. This should include pictures or videos of your visible injuries, any skid marks on the street, the vehicles involved in the crash, the placement of these vehicles on the street after the accident, the weather conditions at the time of the incident, the road conditions, traffic signals near the site, and any other evidence that can help show what happened. 

You will want to exchange personal details with all the drivers involved in the car accident, including names, contact details, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information.

If there were people at the accident scene who saw what happened, try to get their name and contact information. Many times, witness statements can provide you with necessary details regarding the incident as well as back up your claims. Yet, if these individuals do not appear to want to offer you their details, do not try to force them. Once you retain experienced legal counsel, these attorneys can get this information and testimony for you.

Even if you believe your injuries are minor or do not require any medical treatment, you still need to get to your doctor as soon as possible following your accident. Many serious injuries such as head and brain trauma can take days to even weeks to show symptoms. Yet, the longer you wait to get treatment, the more severe and deadly these injuries can become. For these reasons, it is best to head to the doctor’s office as soon as you can following your car crash.

Besides, getting immediate medical assistance is important to your claim. Insurance companies are often looking for any reason to pay you less money than you need or deny your claim altogether. This is because the insurance company is a business, and like other businesses, they want to make a profit. By paying you less, the more money they make. That is why when you do not get prompt medical attention, these insurers will argue that your injuries are not that serious or a result of a subsequent event. Fortunately, when you get looked over by a doctor shortly after your crash, these health care professionals will write down their assessment of your injuries in their medical report, ultimately providing you with evidence of a direct link between your motor vehicle collision and the harm you sustained. 

Following the crash, you need to watch what you say. This means you do not want to apologize for anything that happened, make any definitive statements regarding the collision, or take fault for anything that happened. These types of comments can come back and hurt your case and the amount of money you can receive.

In addition, you will also want to avoid posting about the accident on your social media accounts or other online groups. Although it may seem like a great way to connect with others and share your story, it can create a trail of evidence the defense team can use against you.

If the insurance company is calling you, you need to think about how this conversation could affect your personal injury claim down the road. That is why it is best that before you speak to these adjusters, you first reach out to an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney. These lawyers can not only prepare you on what you should and should not say to these adjusters, but they can also take over these discussions on your behalf and ensure you do not make any damaging comments that can hurt your claim.

The statute of limitations is a law that dictates the maximum amount of time you have to file a claim following an alleged offense. If you do not file your lawsuit within this time period, you can be prohibited from pursuing compensation for the harm and losses you endured. 

In Georgia, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim such as those following a motor vehicle accident is two years from the accident date. However, there are various exceptions to this rule that can impact the time you have to file. For these reasons, it is best not to wait to get legal help. Rather, you should contact a skilled motor vehicle accident attorney as soon as you can. These lawyers can help you determine the maximum amount of time you have to file your case and also ensure that your legal motions and documents are filed properly and before time expires. 

Finding an attorney to take on your injury claim is relatively easy. All you need to do is search for lawyers in your area. However, this does not mean that the attorney you will find will be qualified to take on your motor vehicle accident claim and be able to fight for the maximum damages you deserve. 

Following a car accident claim, you are already dealing with a lot. You should not have to worry about tackling complicated legal issues on your own. Fortunately, when you retain an experienced and knowledgeable car accident lawyer, you will not have to. These attorneys can:

  • Go over your accident with you in detail, determine whether you have a viable claim, and discuss the legal options you can pursue.
  • Answer all of your questions and provide you with the legal support you require during this difficult time.
  • Investigate your car crash thoroughly and obtain the evidence needed to prove fault and damages.
  • Make sure to hold all those at fault for your crash accountable for the injuries you suffered.
  • Obtain experts such as accident reconstructionists, doctors, engineers, and economists to substantiate your claim.
  • Handle all the negotiations with the insurance company and fight for a just settlement on your behalf.
  • Take your case to trial, if required, and fight for the maximum damages you deserve.

If you or a loved one has been harmed in a motor vehicle accident, do not wait any longer to seek the legal help you need. Instead, contact an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney today for a free consultation, and let these lawyers show you how they can fight for you and your rights and pursue the financial recovery you are entitled to. 

The Steps You Need to Take Following Your Motor Vehicle Accident

It can happen in an instant — one minute you are driving to work, and the next, you are getting rear-ended because the car behind you was too busy texting and driving to pay attention to the road. Unfortunately, being involved in a car collision, no matter how minor, can be nerve-wracking, especially since there are many important things that you need to do after a crash. That is why, to clear up some of the confusion surrounding these steps and motor vehicle accidents in general, we have prepared the following blog post. In it, we have highlighted some of the most time-sensitive precautions you need to take after your car crash.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Although motor vehicle accidents can occur for various reasons, some causes tend to occur more frequently than others. They include:

Speeding

Not only does speeding amount to almost 26% of all traffic deaths, but every year, over 9,000 individuals are killed because of excessive speeding in the United States.

Speeding puts everyone on the road at risk. This is because it reduces the amount of time drivers have to react to conditions on the road, especially during bad weather, when the street is under repair, or at night when the area is not well lit. 

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes a motorist’s attention away from driving, such as eating, talking to others in the car, and texting. When people do not give driving their full attention, the results can be catastrophic, and every year, over 3,000 lives are lost in the United States because of it. 

Bad Weather

Bad weather can significantly increase the chance of automobile collisions. Conditions such as rain, sleet, snow, fog, and ice can hamper a person’s visibility and ability to react to hazardous conditions, often causing deadly crashes.

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

In the United States, every day, about 28 people pass away because of a drunk-driving accident. That is almost one person every 52 minutes. What is worse is these deaths are all preventable. 

Alcohol and drugs reduce the brain’s functions, impairing reasoning, thinking, and even muscle coordination. Consequently, when a motorist gets behind the wheel while intoxicated, it can affect their motor skills, concentration, awareness, and reaction time, leading to devastating collisions and injuries. 

Reckless Driving

Drivers who roll through stop signs, run red lights, and merge into a lane without using a blinker are examples of motorists who drive recklessly. In the United States, reckless driving is a major traffic violation and often consists of a motorist driving their vehicle with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of another individual or property. 

Tailgating

If a motorist follows another vehicle too closely, rear-end crashes can often result and lead to debilitating back and neck injuries. Typically, these crashes occur when the front car unexpectedly stops, and the motorist behind them is not paying attention or driving excessively fast and does not have enough time or room to stop. Although it is often recommended that cars allow three seconds of time between them and another vehicle, double that in bad weather, few drivers follow these guidelines. 

Motor Vehicle Defects

By law, vehicle designers and manufacturers are required to design and build vehicles that meet minimum safety standards. Yet, even with all of our technological advancements today, problems with the car’s designs and functionality are often one of the main causes of accidents on the roadways. For these reasons, regular maintenance and check-ups are so critical in ensuring your vehicle is in good working order. 

10 Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Car accident scenes are often chaotic and stressful, leaving everyone involved feeling overwhelmed, scared, and apprehensive. However, if you have been involved in one of these tragic accidents, it is important to realize that the steps you take following this crash can not only help keep you safe but protect your legal rights as well. That is why following a motor vehicle collision, you need to consider doing the following:

  • Get Your Car Off the Road

If possible, you want to clear the roadway after the accident and pull your car over to the shoulder. This can ensure that you and your vehicle are out of the way of approaching vehicles. However, if you cannot move your vehicle, make sure you turn on your hazard lights so that other cars can see your vehicle and get yourself and others involved in the crash to a safe spot away from the road.

  • Contact the Authorities Immediately After Your Crash

Following a car accident, you need to call 911 immediately. Not only is this the quickest way to get your crash on record, but it is also the fastest way to notify emergency medical personnel that you or another person at the scene needs immediate medical attention.  Once the police arrive at the scene, they can investigate the car collision and document their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue a legal claim, this documentation can provide you with valuable details regarding the incident, including what happened and who may have been at fault. 

  • Obtain Evidence From the Accident Scene

If you do not require immediate medical treatment and the area is safe, try to collect as much evidence from the crash scene as you can. This should include pictures or videos of your visible injuries, any skid marks on the street, the vehicles involved in the crash, the placement of these vehicles on the street after the accident, the weather conditions at the time of the incident, the road conditions, traffic signals near the site, and any other evidence that can help show what happened. 

  • Obtain Driver Information

You will want to exchange personal details with all the drivers involved in the car accident, including names, contact details, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information.

  • Get Information From the Witnesses 

If there were people at the accident scene who saw what happened, try to get their name and contact information. Many times, witness statements can provide you with necessary details regarding the incident as well as back up your claims. Yet, if these individuals do not appear to want to offer you their details, do not try to force them. Once you retain experienced legal counsel, these attorneys can get this information and testimony for you.

  • See Your Doctor As Soon As You Can

Even if you believe your injuries are minor or do not require any medical treatment, you still need to get to your doctor as soon as possible following your accident. Many serious injuries such as head and brain trauma can take days to even weeks to show symptoms. Yet, the longer you wait to get treatment, the more severe and deadly these injuries can become. For these reasons, it is best to head to the doctor’s office as soon as you can following your car crash. Besides, getting immediate medical assistance is important to your claim. Insurance companies are often looking for any reason to pay you less money than you need or deny your claim altogether. This is because the insurance company is a business, and like other businesses, they want to make a profit. By paying you less, the more money they make. That is why when you do not get prompt medical attention, these insurers will argue that your injuries are not that serious or a result of a subsequent event. Fortunately, when you get looked over by a doctor shortly after your crash, these health care professionals will write down their assessment of your injuries in their medical report, ultimately providing you with evidence of a direct link between your motor vehicle collision and the harm you sustained. 

  • Be Careful What You Say to Others

Following the crash, you need to watch what you say. This means you do not want to apologize for anything that happened, make any definitive statements regarding the collision, or take fault for anything that happened. These types of comments can come back and hurt your case and the amount of money you can receive. In addition, you will also want to avoid posting about the accident on your social media accounts or other online groups. Although it may seem like a great way to connect with others and share your story, it can create a trail of evidence the defense team can use against you.

  • Avoid Talking to the Insurance Adjuster Before Speaking With an Attorney

If the insurance company is calling you, you need to think about how this conversation could affect your personal injury claim down the road. That is why it is best that before you speak to these adjusters, you first reach out to an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney. These lawyers can not only prepare you on what you should and should not say to these adjusters, but they can also take over these discussions on your behalf and ensure you do not make any damaging comments that can hurt your claim.

  • Reach Out To Legal Counsel Before You Run Out of Time

The statute of limitations is a law that dictates the maximum amount of time you have to file a claim following an alleged offense. If you do not file your lawsuit within this time period, you can be prohibited from pursuing compensation for the harm and losses you endured.  In Georgia, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim such as those following a motor vehicle accident is two years from the accident date. However, there are various exceptions to this rule that can impact the time you have to file. For these reasons, it is best not to wait to get legal help. Rather, you should contact a skilled motor vehicle accident attorney as soon as you can. These lawyers can help you determine the maximum amount of time you have to file your case and also ensure that your legal motions and documents are filed properly and before time expires. 

  • Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney As Soon As Possible

Finding an attorney to take on your injury claim is relatively easy. All you need to do is search for lawyers in your area. However, this does not mean that the attorney you will find will be qualified to take on your motor vehicle accident claim and be able to fight for the maximum damages you deserve.  Following a car accident claim, you are already dealing with a lot. You should not have to worry about tackling complicated legal issues on your own. Fortunately, when you retain an experienced and knowledgeable car accident lawyer, you will not have to. These attorneys can:
  • Go over your accident with you in detail, determine whether you have a viable claim, and discuss the legal options you can pursue.
  • Answer all of your questions and provide you with the legal support you require during this difficult time.
  • Investigate your car crash thoroughly and obtain the evidence needed to prove fault and damages.
  • Make sure to hold all those at fault for your crash accountable for the injuries you suffered.
  • Obtain experts such as accident reconstructionists, doctors, engineers, and economists to substantiate your claim.
  • Handle all the negotiations with the insurance company and fight for a just settlement on your behalf.
  • Take your case to trial, if required, and fight for the maximum damages you deserve.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in a motor vehicle accident, do not wait any longer to seek the legal help you need. Instead, contact an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney today for a free consultation, and let these lawyers show you how they can fight for you and your rights and pursue the financial recovery you are entitled to. 
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