Personal Injury Dos and Don’ts – Everything to Do and Avoid After an Accident

Accidents are the stuff of nightmares. But, if you’ve been involved in an accident, you need to know what to do and what not to do to save your life, secure your loved ones and generally stay safe until help comes. You may also want to take some steps to record the scene so that you can claim some compensation later on.

Seek medical help

As soon as an accident occurs, be it a slip and fall, car or truck accident, or an animal bite, you are advised to immediately seek medical help. Call 911 immediately. If there is a delay in getting medical help, the defense attorney might consider the injury insignificant as a result of a delay on the part of the plaintiff.

Make sure to adhere to all of your doctors’ advice no matter how unimportant it may seem to you. Let your doctors be aware of any pain or limitation you may feel after the accident. Keep all receipts and prescription bottles given within the timeframe of treatment after the accident.

Gather Evidence

Once an accident occurs and you find that you are medically stable then you should try to gather as much evidence as you can by making videos or taking pictures using your mobile phone or any other available devices.

ou must have contacted law enforcement who will investigate the case and give their report. Your medical report may also serve as potential evidence if the case goes to trial, your prescription bottles, even your doctor may stand as a witness in your favor.

Call Your Attorney

Being in an accident can be overwhelming, but deciding to go through the process of filing the lawsuit by yourself is not in your best interest. The case may be thrown out if it’s not properly filed.

 Apart from it being a traumatic period for you, you could up spending so much more than you could ever imagine especially if the other party has a lawyer who knows his onions.

In most accident cases, the legal process is always long, tedious and complicated.  That is why you need a Personal Injury Lawyer Manhattan NYC or anywhere near you. They will help you understand the process and represent your best interest if the case goes to trial.

Call Your Workplace

If you have a job, call the office to inform them of the accident -if its’ not a workplace accident. This could work in your favor when you’re demanding your compensation from the at-fault party or insurance company.

Be Honest in Recounting Your Ordeal

When conversing with an insurance company representative after an accident, make sure that you give an honest account of the chain of events leading to the accident.

Make sure to not admit the accident being your fault as it may be used against you if the case goes to trial by making you pay the cost of damages incurred during the accident.

Avoid Signing Documents Without Your Lawyer’s Approval

In the absence of your personal injury attorney, you are advised not to append your signature to any documents brought to you by the other party’s’ insurers.

They will try to get you to settle for as little as possible. This will be in their own favor but will not work in your favor. It is advisable for a personal injury attorney to represent you at all times.

Don’t Leave the Accident Scene Without A Formal Report

If there is no formal report regarding an accident, it tends to be a little tricky to prove to the court what actually happened.  Take pictures and videos of the accident scene, and make sure to take notes of date, time, and weather conditions.

Don’t Refuse Medical Assistance

Being in an accident is usually unexpected, shocking and mostly overwhelming. You should not refuse medical assistance at a time like this, have medical practitioners look at you, even if you feel fine. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t Leave the Accident Scene

Never leave the scene of an accident before law enforcement arrives to take down their report. While waiting for their arrival, if anyone needs medical attention that should also be taken care of, see if you can help.

For instance, in the US the law requires that anyone who has been in an accident which results in injury, property damage or death is expected to immediately stop the vehicle. Any act which contravenes this would be considered a criminal case.