Car accidents are always bad; the most minor accidents usually result in outsized costs, as even replacing paint is expensive. But, of course, you’re very fortunate if scraped paint is all you need to worry about because accidents can easily result in total destruction of the vehicle and severe injury or death.
The harm doesn’t just stop at the accident itself. Like a city of dominoes, one thing easily leads to another. And in a car accident, apart from the physical damage, you also have to consider that, depending on how severe your injuries are, you’re going to have to take some time off work.
Factor in the medical bills that you’re going to have to handle — if the procedures you need are not covered — and the repairs to your car (if your car isn’t insured) and you’ve got yourself a pretty deep financial hole to dig yourself out of.
Now, the truth is that there’s no better course of action than to take the necessary precautions in order to prevent or mitigate the problem — but not all of us are fortunate enough to still have time to prepare.
Some of you may even be reading this article because you’re currently trying to recover from an accident. Well, if it’s knowledge you seek, then, knowledge, you shall have. Here are several tips to remember the next time you find yourself in an unfortunate accident:
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
The purpose of seeking medical attention goes beyond addressing your immediate injuries. By seeking medical attention, you are also submitting yourself for a full assessment by a medical professional. This is vital if you want to be able to prove that you sustained personal injury, especially the kind that lead to chronic conditions.
Furthermore, if your injuries are severe enough to keep you from performing your duties at work, it’s also important to secure a not-fit-for-work note from your doctor which may need to be used as evidence at a later point; you should stop working immediately if it means aggravating injuries.
Gather Information
I understand this is a broad term, but it accurately describes the scope of the investigation that you’re going to be doing — or the scope you’re going to have someone else do for you. This means gathering medical, police, and incident reports pertaining to the accident as well as taking note of witness and police accounts. This is going to help you greatly in figuring out whose fault the accident is.
Consult with a Lawyer
Car accident lawyers are your best bet if you want to maximize the amount of money that you’re able to recover after an accident. They can help you file a personal injury claim and on the off chance that you’re the person at fault, they can also help mitigate or even resolve the problem. Either way, it’s always a good idea to get in touch with a lawyer. You may even hire them later on, to do the investigating for you.
Sometimes, you may not even need to file a lawsuit. Lawyers are also able to help both parties reach a settlement which is usually beneficial to both parties.
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Several years ago my wife was on a 4lane road in the turn lane with a dump truck in front of her he backed up crushing the front totaled. The officer wrote it up as my wifes fault, I knew that couldnt be right took it to my insurance company they agreed with me. Went to police station and the officer in charge said he would get the report reviewed. Next day I get a call from officer in charge to come down to protect my interests, as the trucking co. was there. When the officer who wrote up the report came in I introduce myself and told him I appreciate him reverting the report, he said dont mean it,s going to be in your favor! I replied just so it,s right, he changed the report and described the accident as the truck drivers fault. Good article!!
Thanks for sharing your story, John. Hard to believe anyone could be at fault because someone backed into them!