When you suffer an injury during a motor vehicle accident, what you do next can have significant financial ramifications.
If you make the right move, you can receive the money you need for medical care, mental health services, replacement of lost income, and vehicle repairs. If you make the wrong moves, you may fail to secure the money you need—and suffer the potentially severe consequences that can stem from such a failure.
One thing you should do after an accident injury is hire an attorney. An auto accident lawyer will protect you from bad faith attempts to deprive you of a fair settlement or verdict.
Your attorney will also lead every step of your case, and they will demand that liable parties pay you the compensation you deserve.
What Every Accident Victim Should Do After Suffering an Injury
There is no concern greater than your health after suffering an injury in an accident. Therefore, after the accident:
See the Doctor
See a medical professional as soon as possible after your accident because:
- Accidents can cause many (potentially severe) injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, and whiplash
- Undiagnosed and untreated injuries pose an imminent, potentially fatal risk to your health
- You must know exactly what injuries you’ve suffered if you hope to recover fully from those injuries
- For the sake of your claim or lawsuit, you must establish a direct connection between the accident and any injuries you have suffered (which requires getting a diagnosis for your injuries)
Tell the doctor what happened to you during the accident. Voice any symptoms or abnormal sensations you are experiencing post-accident. You may request that the doctor order medical imaging, and you should leave the office with a definitive diagnosis of your injuries (or a clear-cut plan for getting such diagnoses).
Once you are confident you have received the evaluation and treatment you need, you should then:
Hire an Auto Accident Lawyer
You may research and contact auto accident lawyers at any point after the collision.
Do not wait any longer than you must to retain your attorney because:
- There may be multiple parties trying to keep you from receiving the money you deserve, and your attorney will shield you from those parties (which may even include your own insurance company)
- You need to report injuries and complete other time-sensitive steps, and your lawyer can ensure that you do so
- States have deadlines for filing lawsuits related to auto accidents (in Florida, for example, the deadline is typically two years from the accident)
- If you wait to take action after the collision, liable parties may claim that you’re not as injured as you claim to be (or are fabricating the connection between the accident and the losses you’re seeking compensation for)
You deserve to focus on your health without stressing about an insurance claim or lawsuit. When you hand your case over to a capable auto accident lawyer, you can put your recovery first.
Rest and Heal While Your Attorney Fights for the Money You Deserve
While you likely have personal matters you must attend to, your lawyer will handle your case.
Your choice to hire a lawyer, therefore, should provide you the time you need to:
- See doctors, who may provide treatment and monitor your recovery progress
- Rest
- Seek any chiropractic care, massages, or other treatment that helps you with pain and injury symptoms
- Seek any mental health treatment you require because of the accident
A significant percentage of auto accident victims experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This means that, in addition to your treatment for physical injuries, you may need significant mental health services.
Never play with your mental or physical health. Trust your case to an attorney so you can prioritize and streamline the recovery process.
Why It’s Important to Hire an Attorney Right Away (Rather Than Waiting)
Urgency is necessary when seeking an auto accident lawyer because:
- Your legal team will need to obtain any traffic camera video, witness accounts, and other relevant evidence—if you wait to hire your lawyer, time-sensitive evidence may not be available to them
- Your attorney must ensure that insurance companies receive proper notice of injuries (and any claims you need to file)
- If you ultimately need to file a lawsuit, your attorney will need to file the suit before the statute of limitations expires
Until you hire a lawyer, you may also be dealing directly with insurance representatives. This may place you at risk of bad-faith tactics, including but not limited to lowball settlement offers (which can be tempting).
Auto Accident Lawyers Use Contingency Fees, So You Can Hire Yours Right Now
You can turn your case over to a lawyer today, thanks to the contingency fee agreement that most car accident lawyers use.
This fee structure means:
- Your law firm pays filing fees, expert fees, and all other costs associated with your case (so you don’t have to)
- You don’t pay your firm any upfront fee
- Your auto accident attorney receives their fee as a percentage of any money they secure from you (and you will know what that percentage is before hiring your lawyer)
This fee structure benefits clients because it incentivizes the lawyer to get results. Contingency fees also allow you to hire a lawyer even if you face financial distress.
The Immediate Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer (What They’ll Do Right Away)
As soon as you sign a lawyer, you will begin receiving the benefits of having representation.
Some of the most immediate perks of hiring a car accident lawyer include:
- Their protection: A lawyer’s first order of business is to ensure no one can violate your rights. The primary way your lawyer will achieve this goal is by taking over all communications with insurance companies. If insurers cannot contact you, they can’t mislead you or talk you into accepting a lowball settlement.
- Their instruction: Your attorney will advise you exactly what to do and not to do. You may need such simple instructions during this complicated time in your life.
- A personalized case strategy: Your lawyer will conceive a personalized strategy for you. In many car accident cases, the strategy begins with filing one or more insurance claims. However, suing may be the first option if an at-fault motorist lacks insurance or other circumstances warrant filing suit immediately.
You may also feel relieved knowing your case is out of your hands. You will not have to field phone calls from insurance representatives or worry that you haven’t taken care of case-related responsibilities—your lawyer will handle all of that.
The Longer-Term Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer (How They’ll Complete Your Case)
Protection, instruction, and case strategy are just some of the most immediate ways your car accident attorney will assist you. Your lawyer’s duties will include many other steps, each of which will work toward the successful conclusion of your case.
Expect your lawyer and their team to:
Prove Fault With Convincing Evidence
Your auto accident lawyer will aim to prove who caused your accident and who caused your damages by extension.
Evidence that can help a lawyer prove fault includes:
- Your account of how the auto accident happened
- Eyewitness testimony
- Video
- Photographs of the accident scene
- A police report
Every accident produces different types of evidence, and it’s your lawyer’s responsibility to secure all evidence that helps your case.
Pinpoint Those You’ll Demand Compensation From
Your attorney will evaluate insurance policies, review evidence of fault, and determine who must pay for your accident-related losses.
Insurance companies, an at-fault driver, and a municipality responsible for dangerous road conditions are among those from whom your lawyer might seek compensation.
Secure Proof of Your Damages
Your legal team will prove your accident-related damages, and some useful types of documentation may include:
- Medical records detailing your injuries, symptoms, and prognosis for recovery
- A doctor’s testifying about your disability
- A mental health professional’s documentation of any post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other pain and suffering related to your accident
- Bills related to property damage (like vehicle repairs, ridesharing services, and replacement of damaged personal items)
Your attorney may also have you document, in your own words, the hardship you face because of injuries and other accident-related challenges.
Demand a Fair Settlement (and Negotiate If Necessary)
Most accident injury cases conclude with a settlement agreement, and yours may end similarly. Your lawyer will likely give liable parties the chance to pay for your losses, which may begin with insurance companies.
All your lawyer can do is present proof of your damages, evidence of fault, and their settlement demands. It’s up to liable parties to do the right thing and pay the settlement you deserve.
Help You Decide Whether to Sue (and Lead the Legal Process for You)
Your attorney will be ready for multiple negotiations. It can take time and effort to convince insurers and other liable parties to pay a significant sum of money to an accident victim.
If your attorney reaches a negotiation stalemate, they may present the option of suing. Other circumstances can also lead you to consider a lawsuit. Once you hire a lawyer, you immediately have the option of filing a lawsuit (because that’s what lawyers do).
Damages You Should Expect After an Accident Injury
You can expect fair compensation for harm that anyone else causes you. This is true when you suffer an injury during an auto accident. Your lawyer’s settlement demand letter, and demands during any trial your case requires, will account for:
Medical Costs
A car accident may require you to receive:
- Emergency medical services (which tend to be a particularly expensive type of medical care)
- Medical imaging to diagnose internal injuries
- Surgery
- Rehabilitation
- Other medical services, as well as items like medication and medical equipment
Auto accident lawyers are familiar with the medical needs of collision victims, and yours will document all your covered medical costs.
Pain and Suffering
Traffic collisions can cause significant pain and suffering, especially when the victim suffers one or more injuries.
Some examples of pain and suffering include:
- Pain that occurs when you suffer an injury
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety, which can include a fear of driving or riding in motor vehicles
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Lost quality of life
- Sleep loss
- Scarring and other types of disfigurement
Your lawyer will also account for the cost of any medication, counseling, and other mental health services that may aid in your recovery.
Vehicle Repairs and Any Other Property-Related Expenses
Auto accidents are typically tied to property damage.
When you hire a lawyer, they will seek compensation for the cost of:
- Replacing any clothing, electronics, or other personal items damaged during your accident
- Repairing your vehicle
- Any temporary transportation (like ridesharing or a rental car) you require while without your vehicle
- Any other property-related expenses
If your accident resulted in total vehicular damage, your attorney will demand that liable parties cover the cost of a new vehicle.
Lost Income and Any Other Professional Damages
Auto accident victims often miss work, and some never work again. Interruptions in your work can lead to lost income, diminished earning capacity, and a host of other professional damages. Your attorney will account for all professional harm when crafting the settlement demand.
Attorneys also represent wrongful death victims. If you lost a loved one because of someone’s negligence, a lawyer will demand financial accountability from liable parties.
Find and Hire Your Attorney Today, and Remember the Risks of Waiting
Here’s a reminder that accident-related injury cases are urgent. Your lawyer must secure evidence while the evidence is available, and they may also need to complete several other duties right away.
Put your trust in a lawyer while you focus on physical and mental recovery. Your personal injury attorney will fight to pursue the compensation you deserve. Call today for your free consultation.
Nicolette R. Nicoletti
Managing Partner
Nicolette R. Nicoletti is the founder and managing partner of the Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers. She was born and raised in New Port Richey, Florida. Nicolette attended Genesis Preparatory School and graduated salutatorian of her class. She then went onto Saint Leo University for her undergraduate education. She graduated magna cum laude from the Honors Program with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While at Saint Leo University, Nicolette was President of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Secretary of Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice Honor Society), and an active member of Delta Epsilon Sigma (National Scholastic Honor Society).
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