Being in a car accident is scary. No matter how serious, or whose fault it is, you are going to be shook up afterwards; you may even be in shock. The police are called, insurance companies notified, and with any luck you are free to go and not taken to the hospital. You may think it is over and that the insurance companies will handle everything. This could be the case, but things may end up going very differently. One of the insurance companies may refuse to pay out on the accident; you may be given a ticket with a large fine and end up with an increase in your premium; you may end up having to pay huge medical bills. To avoid all this, here are a few things you should do immediately after the accident.
Call a Lawyer
As soon as you can, maybe even while still at the scene of the accident, contact a lawyer with experience handling automobile accidents. Take pictures, speak with any witnesses and make sure they've provided a report to the police, and make sure there is documentation of everything. You'll need to give all of this information to your lawyer.
Get Medical Attention
Whether you feel you are injured or not, you need to be looked over by a medical professional. If paramedics are called, let them examine you and follow their counsel if you need to go to the hospital. Sometimes the shock causes you to overlook a pain or problem. You may not notice there is something wrong for a few days or even a week. The sooner you are checked over, the sooner the healing process can begin. More damage can be done if a problem is not taken care of immediately. Do not dismiss anything the doctors tell you and get treatment, including attending follow-up appointments and referrals.
Let Your Lawyer Do the Talking
Once you hire a lawyer, it is important that you let him or her do all the talking for you. If an insurance agent contacts you, even your own agent, refer him or her to your lawyer. When a settlement is offered, have your lawyer look everything over to decide if it is enough money to cover all your expenses. Remember, there may be future medical expenses. While the offer may cover all the bills you have accumulated thus far, it may not pay for future bills and these will have to come out of your own pocket once the deal has been signed.
An experienced accident attorney knows how the whole process works. He or she will also have some knowledge about the medical aspect of accidents. No matter who is injured in the crash, you do not want to be responsible for paying the medical bills. Visit a site like http://www.medilaw.com/ to learn about hiring an car accident lawyer.
Share24 October 2017
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