11 THINGS TO DO TO SECURE YOUR LEGAL CLAIM IF YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT
First thing you have to do if you got involved into a #car #accident and if your #injuries allow you to do so is to call a police. #Police reports are very important for these type of cases. While you are certainly under the shock of the #accident #police will be able to evaluate its cause, observe the damages to your #car and property, listen to the testimony of the witnesses and fix everything in their report. Without #police report you will be at the mercy of the #driver at fault and other witnesses. Please, also note that the #driver who admitted at first his fault may later change his mind, and witnesses ( if you didn’t take their names and contact information) could be lost forever after the #accident, and you will be left to defend yourself against another party and #insurance company to prove your story.
Please, never admit your fault and promise anything to another party. If you admit your fault this will be used by the opposing party and its insurance company later against you.
Never say that you are not injured. After the #accident and while you are under the shock your brain’s first impression is to reassure you that everything is okey with you, while in reality you can have a serious #injury. Also, symptoms of some #injuries come up much later, in some cases even in years. So, please, do not tell to the opposing party that you are not injured.
Take information of another #driver, his #car license number, color, model and VIN number (if possible), photo of the #driver’s license, his #car, your own #car after the #accident, #injuries which you had after the #accident (if you are able to do that).
Take information of all witnesses to the #car #accident if you are able to do that. Take their names, their contact information - phone numbers, e-mails. You will need this information later to support your case, and often if you don’t take witnesses’ information right at the accident scene they are gone later, you will not be able to find them when you need it.
Take your condition very seriously. Go to #emergency room, take #ambulance, report all #injuries you had after the #accident as soon as possible. If you wait for a significant time this will be used by the #insurance company to claim that you waited for so long because you were not #injured or you were injured by something else after the #accident. So, please, take all necessary steps to fix all your #medical conditions after the #accident as soon as possible.
Keep all your #medical bills, reports and papers. If you developed #disability after the accident keep every report you got from the #doctor, visit #physicians and other professionals to follow up with your #medical condition, take all necessary tests and keep their results.
If you are unable to work as a result of the accident count how much time you were unemployed, how much you earned at the job place when you were forced to stop it, how many times you applied for other jobs and got rejected.
It is a good idea to have a journal where you can fix everything which happened to you, as it will help you later to recollect your memory. In time it could be hard for you to remember details of what happened to you, the journal in this case could be very helpful.
Do not talk to the #insurance companies, do not admit any of your fault, do not trust them when you speak to them about the #accident. The purpose of the #insurance companies is to pay you as less as they can, so they are not on your side. They will intentionally contact you shortly after the accident trying to negotiate a deal with you and settle the case, and they will not give you a maximum amount for this reason. If you admit and sign it you will not be able to claim more for your injuries later on.
And finally, find a good #PersonalInjurylawyer to represent you in your case. He is the only one who will be on your side. Although, he will get portion of your compensation he will ensure that you get maximum for your claim and it will be much more than insurance company could give you without a representation.
Law Offices of Aynur Baghirzade
Personal Injury Lawyers
E-mail: contact@lawyers.com
Phone: 619-630-6646