Everyone should know what to do after a car accident, and a basic checklist can ensure you take all the proper steps. Seeking medical attention and hiring an attorney are two of the most pivotal priorities you must attend to following the collision, so they should be at the top of your checklist.
If you don’t take steps like seeing a doctor and hiring a car accident lawyer, you may face serious adverse consequences. Your health, financial well-being, and quality of life may depend on you acting thoughtfully following your collision.
A Must-Follow Checklist for Car Accident Victims
Everyone involved in a car accident should recognize the severity of their circumstances. You may face costly property damage, injuries that can linger indefinitely, medical expenses that can lead to bankruptcy, and many other challenges—it’s up to you to take steps to avoid a catastrophic outcome following a collision.
Protect yourself from devastating health outcomes and financial hardship by:
- Actively seeking medical attention: The human body has its limits. Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of serious injuries, and even seemingly minor collisions can cause whiplash and other ailments. Assume you suffered an injury until you know otherwise, and see a doctor as soon as possible.
- Insisting on diagnoses for injuries and symptoms: The average routine visit with primary care physicians is only between 15 and 20 minutes, and some data indicates most visits are even shorter. If you feel rushed during a post-accident examination, you must insist that the doctor gives a precise diagnosis for all of your symptoms. If you don’t feel that one doctor adequately explained your symptoms or diagnosed your injuries, seek another physician.
- Hiring a car accident attorney as soon as possible: Attorneys can protect car accident victims. A lawyer will also fight for fair compensation, whether from insurance providers or those who are directly liable for the accident. Your case will have many time-sensitive aspects, so don’t wait to find the right attorney to represent you.
- Letting your lawyer deal with insurance companies: Car accident victims should avoid dealing directly with insurance companies. Insurers’ financial goals are different from yours, and these companies do not always act in good faith. By hiring a car accident lawyer and letting them deal with insurance companies, you will protect yourself from bad-faith tactics.
- Following your legal team’s advice: If you hire a lawyer, you should trust them. Rely on your attorney for their advice. Your attorney will help you make any necessary statements, explain their strategy, and help you decide whether or not to accept settlement offers.
If you hire your lawyer quickly, they will document your injuries and detail your accident. However, you should also hang onto anything that can be relevant to your lawyer’s case—like medical bills.
Working with a car accident lawyer can help you avoid many potential problems. For instance, a lawyer can recommend you to the right healthcare professionals to get the medical evaluation you need. If a doctor has not given you adequate care, your attorney will ensure that another, more thorough physician does.
Steps to Take If You Lose a Loved One Because of a Fatal Car Accident
If your loved one lost their life from accident-related injuries or succumb to injuries in the future, you should:
- Hire a lawyer before any filing deadlines expire: Despite the devastating grief you’re likely facing, it is important to hire an attorney as soon as possible. Wrongful death lawsuits typically have statutes of limitations, which means you have a limited time to file.
- Keep records of the harm you have suffered: Your lawyer will ensure you see any necessary mental health professional and get the care you need. It may also help your case if you keep a journal of the pain and challenges you’ve endured because of the fatal accident, so long as you are not distressed by doing so.
- Trust your lawyer to handle your case: Like all car accident cases, those involving someone’s death are fragile. The slightest mistake can compromise your financial recovery. For this reason, it’s best to let your legal team handle every aspect of the case (and this may be best for your recovery, too).
Of course, fatal car accidents are the most costly type of car accident. Not only is the non-economic cost of losing a loved one immense but the financial burden survivors face is often crushing, too.
What Features Should I Look for in a Car Accident Lawyer?
Once you recognize that a car accident lawyer can greatly benefit you, the next step is finding the ideal attorney for your case. Some criteria you can use to identify an effective legal counselor include:
- Case results, which many attorneys and firms publish on their websites
- Client reviews, which law firms cannot always curate and, therefore, may provide an honest evaluation of the firm’s strengths (and any weaknesses)
- The quality of your consultation, which is free and comes with no obligation to hire a firm (so take advantage by speaking with a firm’s representatives before you hire that firm)
Experience is a key consideration when seeking a lawyer. If a law firm has earned many strong case results for car accident victims, this is a positive sign.
Following the Steps on This List Could Change Your Life—Here Is How
Whether or not you hire a car accident attorney can be a turning point in your life. This isn’t overstatement, but it instead indicates how a lawyer can:
Protect You from Harmful Stress and Physical Difficulties
Whether you have suffered injuries, lost a loved one, or are seeing a loved one deal with a disabling injury, an attorney can:
- Afford you the time you need to tend to your health (or a loved one’s health)
- Shield you from the stress many endure when dealing with insurance companies
- Ensure you get the medical care, mental health services, and other resources you need
Car accidents are not pleasant, and the insurance claims process can be similarly distasteful. You have been through enough stress, so let a lawyer protect you from additional suffering.
Ensure Nobody Can Violate Your Rights and Undermine Your Case
Insurance companies are in the business of making money. For this reason, insurance companies too often act in bad faith to avoid paying money to car accident victims. Your attorney will ensure that you don’t fall victim to:
- Baseless claims that you caused the accident
- Unfair claim denials
- Lowball settlement offers
- Unnecessary delays in the claims process
When you accept money from an insurance company, you have to sign a release agreement. When you sign this agreement, you can no longer seek money from the insurer. Allow an attorney to ensure that any settlement you accept is undeniably fair.
Secure the Compensation You Deserve (Whether Through Settlement or Award)
Your lawyer’s job will be to secure compensation for your present and future losses. If they succeed in this goal, the money you receive may be truly life-changing.
Why Should a Car Accident Victim Choose to Hire an Attorney?
There are many potential reasons to hire a car accident lawyer, including because:
- You don’t have the time, patience, or health to handle your own case: Knowing your limitations after a car accident is critical. Between physical injuries, psychological and emotional hardship, and limited time, you may be unable to handle your case effectively.
- Attorneys cover case costs: Car accident lawyers generally use contingency fees. You won’t pay your lawyer directly. Instead, they will receive a percentage of any settlement or verdict they obtain for you. Throughout your case, your law firm will cover all costs upfront (including valuable services, like hiring experts).
- You put a premium on lawyers’ unique skills and experience: You may also recognize that a lawyer’s legal training, background advocating for car accident victims, and knowledge of relevant rules and statutes will benefit you. Attorneys have specific jobs they’re trained to complete, and one of those jobs is securing fair compensation for car accident victims.
Some car accident victims just want help. You may know that you deserve compensation but may have little idea about how to secure it. Hiring a lawyer can immediately take away your case-related confusion and worries.
Who Do Car Accident Lawyers Represent?
Car accident lawyers generally represent:
- Those injured in traffic accidents: If you suffered an injury during a car accident, you should hire a lawyer. Your attorney will immediately work to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
- Those affected by fatal traffic accidents: If you and any of your loved ones are grappling with a loved one’s passing, an attorney will represent you.
If your loved one suffered disabling injuries and cannot hire an attorney for themselves, you may retain a law firm on their behalf. Explain your circumstances when you speak with prospective attorneys, and they will answer your questions and provide personalized advice.
What Does a Car Accident Do for the Person They Represent?
Your attorney will tailor their services to your unique case. Some of the most common responsibilities that car accident lawyers handle are:
Dealing with Insurance Companies (and Countering Their Bad-Faith Tactics)
Your attorney will represent you with the insurance companies, and they will:
- Ensure the insurers have all necessary information about your losses
- Provide evidence of fault for the accident
- Provide your account of the accident to insurers, if necessary
- Ensure the claims process proceeds as quickly as possible
Your lawyer will prevent delays and protect you from any bad-faith tactics (including lowball offers).
Filing a Lawsuit, If Their Client Wishes
If you decide to file a lawsuit, your lawyer will submit it in the proper court as soon as possible. There are generally deadlines for filing car accident lawsuits, which is one of many reasons to hire your lawyer as soon as possible.
Gathering All Available Evidence of Fault
Your lawyer and their team will quickly secure evidence proving who caused your car accident. This may include eyewitness testimony, expert testimony, video of the accident, video of events that led to the accident, a police report, and an expert’s reconstruction of the collision.
Obtaining Proof of the Client’s Damages
Your attorney needs to show the harm you’ve endured because of the car accident (and the person who caused it) and may document your damages with:
- All medical records pertaining to accident-related injuries
- Images and photographs of injuries
- Your account of pain and suffering related to the car accident
- Mental health experts’ diagnoses of your pain and suffering
- Invoices for vehicle repairs and temporary transportation
- Records showing any income you’ve lost because of the collision
Attorneys work with their clients’ unique damages. Your lawyer will secure convincing proof for each of the damages you suffer.
Negotiating a Settlement on the Client’s Behalf
Your lawyer will assign an accurate monetary value to each of your accident-related damages. When they compile the cost of your damages, your attorney will know how much compensation you deserve.
Your lawyer will:
- Check and double check their calculation of your accident-related damages
- Determine who owes you compensation for your damages
- Present their settlement calculation and demands to liable parties (likely starting with insurance companies)
- Represent you in any necessary settlement negotiations
If insurance companies or others who owe you compensation will not agree to your lawyer’s terms, your case may require a trial.
Recoverable Damages Resulting from Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause immediate and long-term harm that includes:
- Physical pain (which may include both acute and chronic pain)
- Pain and suffering (which may include PTSD, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems)
- The cost of repairing or replacing your damaged car
- Lost income
- Mental health treatment costs
- Medical expenses
Lawyers are familiar with the cost of auto accidents. Your attorney will secure all available documentation of your damages, hire qualified experts, and remove all doubt about the harm liable parties have caused you.
Hire Your Car Accident Attorney Today
Securing fair compensation for your damages must be a top priority. Don’t wait to hire your personal injury lawyer. They will resolve your case as soon as possible. Your legal team will fight to secure all the compensation you deserve.
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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