Legal Actions to Make When Involved in an Accident

Every year in the US there are hundreds of thousands of accidents that cause people injury and extensive damage to their property. These may be traffic accidents, work-related injuries, or an incident that occurred as the result of a hazard or negligence in someone else’s home or place of business. Medical bills, vehicle repairs and loss of earnings can all add up and so it is vitally important to seek legal representation following an accident to make sure that you are sufficiently compensated. Without an experienced lawyer or a sufficient understanding of the law, you leave yourself vulnerable. For anyone who has been involved in an unforeseen incident and has sustained injuries or other damage, this article is a guide to the legal actions to take when involved in an accident.

1. Contact a lawyer immediately

This should be the first thing that anybody who is involved in an accident should do because this will make all the other steps so much simpler. Many people think that they don’t need an attorney but one Charlottesville Car Accident Lawyer told us that there are so many benefits to hiring an experienced accident lawyer. Lawyers know exactly what the law is because they have years of training and experience and they will be able to advise you exactly how to go forward with your case. Practicing law is a lot harder than people think and there are so many things that need doing to prepare an accident lawsuit. Your legal team will be able to take over the burden of your case and leave you to focus on your recovery. There are many accident lawyers practicing in every city in the US and so you will have plenty of options to choose from. Make sure to ask any potential lawyers that you are considering their experience and track record handling cases like yours.

2. Submit all Medical Bills and Records

Once you have hired an experienced legal team to prepare and argue your case in court, your priority should be to take care of your health. Recovery, whether it’s physical or monetary, will follow in due course, but proper medical care is key. It is absolutely vital that you explain to your doctor exactly how your injuries were sustained so that he can write your explanation in your medical notes. These notes will be used by your lawyers in your case and so it is really important that they are up to date and that you seek medical treatment immediately after the accident so that the notes reflect your injuries straight after the incident. If you wait too long to be seen then the other side’s lawyers may try to argue that the injuries reported in your medical records were not sustained in the accident but instead at a later time. Even if you don’t feel like you are hurt immediately after the accident, you should still seek medical attention as there may be some injuries that you don’t realize you have due to shock. It will take time to determine the extent of your injuries. People have a tendency to say that they’re aching but “I’m fine”, and then find out weeks later that it’s worse than they thought.

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3. Notify your Insurance Company about the Accident

You should do this immediately because it will get the ball rolling on your case and because your insurance company will need to cover your initial out of pocket expenses like your medical bills and any damage to your vehicle and property that resulted from the accident. If you get contacted by the other party’s insurance company, do not accept a quick settlement. It will take time to determine the extent of your injuries. Over the years, your lawyers will handle many accident cases in a variety of forms and will be able to advise you on what is an acceptable settlement. Not only may the other side’s insurance company try to put pressure on you but your own insurance company may become difficult to deal with. If this is the case, stop speaking to them altogether and put everything in the hands of your lawyers. They will have the experience and knowledge to handle difficult insurance companies. They will look at all the issues so that your net recovery is maximized and will not allow you to be intimidated or tricked by insurance companies or their legal teams.

Unfortunately, there are so many of us who are involved in an accident at some point in our lives. No matter what the circumstances of the accident, it is really important to take the right legal steps immediately to guarantee that your rights are protected and that you will be able to claim the damages that you are entitled to and that will help you to make a full recovery.