What to Expect When A Stranger Accidentally Injures You

Being involved in an accident, whether it’s in your workplace, on the road, or anywhere else, can be a disorientating and stressful experience, especially if you don’t know the exact steps to take afterward. Although there are a lot of variants when it comes to personal injury accidents, there are still some things that all accidents have in common that you will have to deal with, irrespective of your situation. To know more about this, you can read this guide for more information.

Documentation

Documentation is important in any personal injury accident. In case you want to file a personal injury claim, more documentation should support it and might even be the determining factor in winning your case. Thus, you’re expected to get as much information as possible after an accident. If you were involved in a car accident, and your injuries are not hindering you from freely moving, you should take photos of the scene as well as any vehicles. You should also write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the drivers involved. Documentation should include your insurance company and also the other driver’s. You might also want to gather the contact information of the police officer who wrote the accident report.

Injuries

You might feel okay right after the accident, but that doesn’t mean you actually are. Adrenaline can be easily masking your injuries, whether they’re major or minor, which is why you should seek medical attention right away. In public liability cases, you must seek medical care because one, you’ll get better quickly, which will help you file a claim as soon as possible and two, because you will be able to use your medical records as a piece of evidence. Medical records and even your doctor’s statement could be excellent when supporting your case, as they will provide proof of the extent of your injury and increase how much compensation you could get.

The Scene

When an accident occurs, you’ll be expected not to leave the scene. The same goes for other parties concerned. If you were involved in a car accident, for instance, you’re required by the law to check on the driver to exchange information. You’re also expected to record any damage or injuries inflicted both on you and the other driver. In fact, if someone leaves the scene of the accident before these things are taken care of, this means that they’ve committed a misdemeanor. However, depending on the type of the accident and severity of the injuries, fleeing can be punishable either by jail time or fines.

Insurance Adjusters

Another thing to expect is that an insurance adjuster might contact you right after the accident for a statement. It is important to remember that under no circumstances should you give any statements to them, at least not until you’ve talked to your lawyer or any legal counsel. If an insurance adjuster from the other side is trying to talk to you, you should refrain from giving any statements, as they can and will use these statements against you if your case reaches court. This is because insurance adjusters represent their insurance companies and will, therefore, do anything for their benefits, even if that means paying you as little money as possible despite your grave injuries.

The Police

The police will be involved in the accident at some point, so it is important that you call 911 right away, as police officers will document the scene of the accident, take your statements, and record any details related to the accident, which will leave no room for disputes when the two parties relay their stories. Having a police officer write the accident report as soon as possible will speed up the claim process and create solid evidence to support your case later on.

Statute of Limitations

If you don’t know what a statute of limitations is, it’s basically what sets up a deadline for your claim, which means that you have a period of time in which you can file a claim from the date of the accident. Of course, you won’t be able to file a claim right off the bat if your injuries are severe, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll miss your deadline. In most states, you’ll have about 2 years, so this is plenty of time for you to heal, hire a lawyer, and file a claim. 

Now that you know what to expect when being involved in a car accident, filing a claim right after your injury shouldn’t be a problem. However, you must ensure that you hire a lawyer whenever you need to take legal action, as they will offer proper legal advice whenever you need it. Make sure to take your time and read reviews when you’re not sure which lawyer to contact.