Getting injured in an automobile accident can be a life-altering experience. The injured person may not be able to make it to work to earn pay to take care of household bills and the like. Family members and friends may have to rearrange their lives to help such a person, as well. The best way for an automobile accident survivor to make it is to follow a protocol as soon as the injury occurs. The plan is not perfect, but it can help the person to survive:
Check to See if Everyone Is Well
The first step one should take after an automobile accident is checking to see if everyone inside the vehicle is well. Accidents can be devastating, and some people may have late reactions. The driver should take an inventory of everyone in the vehicle before taking any other steps. Ensuring that everyone is healthy is the most important part of recovering after an automobile incident.
Take Pictures and Gather Information
Documentation is necessary for all steps of the process including police reporting, insurance company phone calls, and legal consultations. The injured person will want to take as many pictures as possible and document automobile damages, injuries and more. More importantly, the victim will want to obtain information about the other driver. The victim will want to exchange insurance company information as well as driver license and license plate information. Such information will be necessary to process an insurance claim properly.
The injured person should contact the police as quickly as possible. He or she will want to obtain a copy of any police reports that the authorities process as a result of the accident. Police reports can help to establish fault when the case progresses to a legal level.
Get Medical Attention Immediately
Getting medical attention immediately is crucial to the insurance claim as well as any legal steps that the person may take to receive compensation. The injured person can visit an emergency room or a private doctor. The physician will want to ensure that the person has no broken bones, hemorrhages, brain damage or any other complications. The tending physician will write a report that states the extent of the injured party’s damage. The injured party will then want to show the insurance company and legal specialist any contributions that he or she has made toward hospital bills and medical care.
Contact the Insurance Company
The next step after the injured person regains composure should be contacting the insurance company. The insurance company will want to know details about the accident and how it happened. The insurance company will want to have copies of police reports, medical bills, and any documentation that the victim has about the other vehicle and its driver. The underwriter will use the information to process a claim. The insurance company will pay the claim if it finds that the injured party is innocent. Otherwise, it will refuse the claim and state the reason for such a refusal.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
A person who is hurt in an automobile accident may be eligible for personal injury compensation. A personal injury is an injury that happens because of someone else’s neglect. Quite often, automobile accidents occur because one of the drivers was neglectful in some way. We talked with Law Office of D. Reid Wamble, PLLC, who explained, “A personal injury attorney can help an auto accident victim collect compensation that he or she deserves. The compensation can cover lost work wages, medical bills, hardships and more. Many personal injury attorneys offer free first-time consultations to help the clients to discover whether their situation qualifies for assistance.” An injured person can take the previously mentioned steps to ensure that he or she receives fair treatment.
