The moments immediately preceding the impact of a car accident can be crucial to the validity of a claim against the driver who hit you. Taking proper steps such as calling local law enforcement and taking note of surrounding witnesses can potentially strengthen your claim against the other driver, likely providing for a larger settlement or award in the end.
What Should You Do Immediately Following a Car Accident?
There are five steps you should take immediately following a car accident in order to ensure you have the best evidence.
First, if you feel any pain, especially located in your neck or back, then you should call 911 and seek medical attention right away. The smallest pain in your neck or back can lead to seriously painful injuries with permanent disabilities.
Second, if there are no serious injuries, you still want to call local law enforcement so there is third-party documentation of the accident. That way if you do bring forward a case, it is not just a he-said-she-said which makes it harder to win.
Third, if you do not call an ambulance for serious injuries, you should still go to the hospital after the accident to get cleared by a medical health professional. They know to look for specific injuries and provide instructions to care for yourself properly immediately following an accident.
Fourth, be your own detective and collect as much evidence as you can at the scene. You want to specifically, get pictures of both cars and the scene of the accident. You also want to gather the contact and insurance information from the person who hit you. It is also important to look for any eyewitnesses close by who may have seen the accident and get their name and number to potentially call as a witness when negotiating your case.
Lastly, you want to call an experienced car accident lawyer to help you through the process. If you have injuries or your car is destroyed, you will have enough on your plate to focus on. Leave the claims and negotiations to the experts so you can focus on what is most important, your recovery.
What Do Some Car Accident Settlements Look Like?
We recently had three big cases that resulted in car accident settlements in Rhode Island within the last month. First, a Woonsocket, RI Woman who just received a $292,000 settlement after she was injured in a car accident. Then a Middletown, RI man got $150,000 settlement from a car accident. Lastly, a Warwick, RI woman received a $100,000 settlement for his injuries that resulted from a motor vehicle collision.
Why Should You Even Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
In a recent study, it was proven that a car accident victim who hires a lawyer is more likely to receive up to a 40% increase in compensation. If you are curious to know if you or a loved one is entitled to compensation after being injured in a Providence Car Accident, just call us today. We provide a free (no obligation) case evaluation when you call 1-800-992-6878 or fill out our online contact form.
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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