What Should You Do after an Accident
Some helpful tips of what you should do after an accident.
If you have been involved in a serious accident, there are steps you may take to protect yourself and take care of your loved ones. The authors recommend taking these steps immediately following an accident.
* Call the police. Police can make sure you get the proper medical help, document the scene of the accident, record names and contact information of witnesses, and question those responsible for the accident. Perhaps most important, they generate a police report containing a detailed official version of the incident.
* Get immediate medical treatment. Adreneline, shock, and disorientation can mask serious accident injuries. Even if you do not feel injured, take the trip to the emergency room and get checked out. This is one of the best protections you have available.
* Document the scene. If it is possible, take photos of the hazardous conditions that contributed to the accident. Use your cell phone camera, if necessary, to shoot clear pics documenting how the accident occurred and whose fault it appears to be. In the case of car crashes, be sure to photograph the road, positions of all involved vehicles, skid marks, traffic lights and signs
* Keep all records organized. Any injury will immediately begin to generate hundreds of pages of documentation. Get a file cabinet and some folders and begin to organize police reports, photos, medical bills, correspondence from your employer, Social Security Disability claims, and all other documents that may eventually help your case.
* Contact an experienced accident lawyer. You may have an attorney you used to write a will, help with your house closing, or facilitate your divorce. Such a lawyer may be a good source for finding an experienced accident attorney. However, for the best representation, select an experienced Atlanta accident lawyer who knows this kind of law.
It is critical that you contact an accident lawyer as soon as possible after a serious accident and/or injury caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another. Your attorney can begin collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and obtaining experts to testify for you. Plus, there are strict filing deadlines for accident cases so you must reach out right away to an experienced attorney
Documents that may help to prove your case
Your case is strengthened by providing your accident lawyer with clear and comprehensive documentation, such as:
* Insurance information
* Copies of police reports
* Copies of tickets issued at the scene
* Photographs of the scene
* Witness lists
* Medical bills, invoices, records
* Therapist bills
* Correspondence about the injury including emails and letters of complaint in advance of the injury
* A calendar showing days missed from work, date injured, doctor visits, therapy visits, surgery
* A pain journal showing your level of pain on each day and how it affected you
* Projected future medical or therapy costs
* Information showing work you missed due to your injury
* Copies of any reports filed at work
* Notes about how things have changed in your life due to the injury
* Notes about extra help you have had to hire to do things for you because of the injury
* Diary of phone interactions with insurance companies
* Copies of insurance claims you filed
Obtaining proper medical care after an accident is critical. The next step is contacting an accident attorney in order to get proper compensation for your injury.
By: Ken Nugent
Article URL: http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=20763
