When you are involved in a car accident, you may know the importance of getting medical care immediately. You may also know to call the police to get documentation of what occurred. In addition to this, there are several other steps you need to take to protect yourself and your right to compensation after a car accident.
At Bighorn Law, we encourage you to contact a car accident attorney if you have suffered injuries caused by another person. Do not assume the insurance company will protect you. Let us do it for you instead.
Gathering Data at an Accident
If you are safely able to do so, you can request information from all parties involved in the accident at the scene of the incident. We encourage you to do this when possible because it allows you to get key information that our attorneys can then use to help document what occurred. Some data to try to obtain include:
- Photos of the scene and the surrounding area
- The names and contact information for all involved
- The names and contact information for all witnesses
- Video of those involved
- The other party’s contact information
- The vehicle’s black box
In addition to this, record yourself describing what occurred just before and just after the accident. Be sure you have a good written log of what occurred. Then, be sure to complete a police report as well.
Seeking Medical Care
It is vital to any personal injury claim that you seek medical care as soon as possible following a car accident. The medical records will assist the attorney with putting together your case against the at-fault party. Medical care includes the following:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- Blood work
- Other diagnostic tests
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
You should attend all follow-up appointments and take all medicine as prescribed. Do not skip appointments or stop taking medicine as it could show the defense team that you are not concerned about your injury.
Avoid Posting on Social Media
Do not post anything on social media about the accident, the pending litigation, or anything else related to your injury. You can still use social media, but do so wisely. If you are going on a vacation, avoid posting pictures. Do not post pictures or videos of you doing any physical activity that would go against any injury claims you have made. It is also in your best interest to avoid posting details of the crash or making any comments about the other driver involved.
When to Contact an Attorney
After a car accident, you will need to make a preliminary call to your car insurance provider to start the documentation process and to get your case moving forward, even if you are not to blame. At that point, we encourage you to contact our car accident attorney. The sooner we can get involved and begin gathering data and evidence, the easier it is for us to document the entire process for you. This could increase the compensation you are owed.
Talk to a car accident attorney from Bighorn Law today about your injuries.