You probably feel a lot of emotions after getting into a car accident. You might feel vulnerable, scared, anxious, and angry. This is in addition to getting treatment for your injuries and repairing the damage to your vehicle that resulted from the accident.
If you were driving cautiously and safely, and the car accident was caused by another driver who was intoxicated or distracted, the situation might be even more devastating. It is incredibly important that you take care of yourself in this situation, and also advocate to be fairly compensated for the pain and damage you sustained. Here are a few tips for making sure you get the compensation you are owed after being in a car wreck:
- Admit nothing.
When you are in a car accident, it is common to say things like, “I didn’t see you coming!” and “It was my fault too.” These statements might seem like the polite thing to say when both you and the other driver are in a state of shock. However, making any statement that could be an admission that you are responsible for the accident in any way might lead to your settlement case failing. It is appropriate to ask if the other driver is okay, and then to immediately contact the authorities and collect insurance information from the other driver. That is all. Even if you feel like you could be to blame in any capacity for the wreck, do not acknowledge it. It is the cops and the insurance agencies’ jobs to determine fault, not yours. - Record everything.
The more documentation you have regarding your wreck, the more ground your attorney has to fight for your cause. Collect the contact information for witnesses. Take pictures of the scene. Write out your account of the incident immediately. Always file a police report. - Seek help immediately.
Getting medical treatment after a car accident is important for a number of reasons.- First of all, obviously, the sooner you get medical care for your injuries, the better the outcome of your recovery will be.
- Secondly, when you get medical treatment immediately after an accident helps establish the extent of your injuries. Sometimes, you will feel okay at the scene of the incident, but in the days following, injuries you incurred will become evident. Getting treatment days after your accident make it more difficult to prove that they are a result of your accident.
- Third, every official capacity that you use to treat your injuries after a car wreck creates a paper trail that shows you’ve done your due diligence to minimize the damage. Sometimes, if you are slow to get medical care, the opposing insurance company will claim you are partially responsible for the extent of your injuries because of your own negligence.
Be proactive about getting treatment. Take an ambulance straight from the wreck to the hospital. Visit a chiropractor to treat common neck and spine injuries that result in accidents. Continue to get treatment for weeks or months after your wreck.
- Find the right lawyer to fight for your cause.
Having the right lawyer could be the single difference between getting a fair settlement and getting no settlement at all. Let’s say you were in a car wreck that was clearly the other driver’s fault in the Houston area. Start by entering, “accident lawyer Houston” in a search engine query. Searching “accident lawyer Houston” narrows your lawyer search down by specialty and location. By researching the term “accident lawyer Houston,” you can get a quick guide to lawyers who focus on your exact legal predicament in your area, as well as reviews from other clients who have used them.
If the circumstances of your accident involve other unusual factors, searching “accident lawyer Houston” might not be specific enough. For example, you might be able to narrow down the best attorney for the job by putting more details in your search query: “Houston truck accident lawyer,” “work injury attorney Houston,” “wrongful death lawyer Houston,” and “Houston personal injury lawyer” would be good options.
Do you have any tips for handling a car accident? Please share your advice in the comment section below!