What to Do After an Auto Accident
After an auto accident, you may feel lost or overwhelmed. Hospital visits, insurance claims and the traumatic nature of the car accident itself can make you feel like you’re drowning in stress. Auto accident injury lawyers can help alleviate some of that stress. While life after a car accident is difficult, it’s easier if you can simplify the steps that you need to take.
Collect Information
Before you contact an attorney, make sure that you collect information. Jot down the type of accident that involved you. Describe if it was a head-on collision or a hit-and-run. The more you remember about the type of accident, the better your case will look. Next, make sure that you have documentation of when it happened, where it happened and who it involved.
Once you have information on the accident readily available, collect injury documentation. Any medical documents pertaining to the accident are worth gathering. Get copies of hospital bills or ambulance receipts. Additionally, make sure that you have full documentation of the extent of your injuries.
Next, if you don’t already have one, you may want to request a copy of the police report. All accidents, even minor ones, should have a filing. If there were any witnesses and you gathered their information, you should collect this with the rest.
Insurance, of course, is a consideration. Do you have auto insurance? Has the other driver’s insurance company contacted you? In addition to insurance, you should think about the causes of the accident and the damage done to the road, landscape and your vehicle.
Contact an Attorney
While you may be missing some of this information, it helps to collect as much as you can before you contact an attorney. If you suffered serious injuries or damage, then odds are you need an auto accident attorney to represent you. These attorneys specialize in auto accident damages. While you should bring some information to the table, the lawyer will also go on a collection mission. He or she will make sure that you have all of the evidence compiled to fight for damages. Likewise, he or she will be able to tell you if he or she thinks that this is a fight that you have a chance of winning. When you have an auto accident, you don’t have to fight it on your own. Instead, you should have an auto accident attorney advocating for you. You have enough on your plate after an accident. It helps alleviate your stress to have a lawyer to take the load off you.