Personal Injury Archives - Page 3 of 3

It’s difficult to fully prepare for being injured in a car accident. The experience is scary and stressful, and you will likely be in a panicked state immediately after the accident, making it more difficult to know what to do.

But, you can educate yourself on the right things to do after a car accident so you are more likely to take steps that will protect you, those around you, and your assets.

Hopefully, you never need to know these steps, but please keep this information in mind in case you are ever injured in a car accident.

#1) Take a deep breath, and check yourself for injuries.

If you are involved in a car accident, your adrenaline is probably going to kick in. You may feel a rush of energy and alertness. This is your body helping you navigate through a stressful and dangerous situation, but it can also limit your abilities to see the situation clearly.

When you have an adrenaline rush, it can decrease your ability to feel pain. You may have been injured in the car accident, but feel fine because your body is covering up minor or major injuries.

The first thing you should do if you are in a car accident is take a breath and check yourself for injuries. Keep in mind that you might not feel your injuries, so perform a body scan to see if you are hurt, but just not feeling it yet. If you have an injury, don’t try to move until help arrives (unless you need to move for other safety reasons).

#2) Check passengers for injuries.

Next, check all other passengers in your vehicle for injuries. Direct them to do a scan on their bodies, and remind them that they may not feel the injuries right away. If they are injured, advise them to stay put. If they aren’t injured, advise them to check the situation outside, and get out and get help if it is safe.

#3) Call 911 and request an ambulance.

If you are injured in a car accident, you need both police and paramedic assistance.

You need police assistance to document the accident and create a report. Even if the facts of the accident seem obvious or the person who caused the accident seems nice and helpful, you need an official report.
You need paramedic assistance to first check your injuries and provide any immediate care that you or others need. You also need the paramedics to create a report that documents the details of your injuries.

Both reports will be useful in the event that you need to take legal action to be fairly compensated for vehicle damage and bodily harm caused by the accident.

#4) Gather information about the car accident.

While the on-scene police will collect information to put in their official report, they may miss a few details. If possible, don’t rely entirely on the police to collect details. If you or someone else on the scene is able, collect information on your own.

If you are in a car accident, you should collect:

Names, contact information, and insurance information of all drivers
Names and contact information of other passengers and witnesses
Location and time of the accident
Photos of involved vehicles
License plate information and make, model, and color of involved vehicles
Any dashcam footage

Before you part ways with the on-scene police officers, get their names and badges numbers. Also, ask them where you can obtain the official report for your records.

#5) Call an attorney before calling any insurance companies.

If you are injured in a car accident, take steps to immediately protect your health and well-being. Then, take steps to protect your financial interests.

You may think that insurance will cover all of the costs related to your accident and injuries, but that is not always the case.

Insurance companies have trained professionals to make you think they are there to help you when they are actually there to try to get your claim closed out in the fastest and cheapest way possible. Both your insurance company and the insurance company of the other parties involved are likely going to work to avoid paying out compensation for damages.

For this reason, it is important that you talk to an auto accident attorney or a personal injury attorney before contacting any insurance company after your accident.

An experienced attorney can make sure you get all of the compensation needed to deal with both your vehicle damages and personal injuries. They can help you get the full compensation you deserve, which may include long-term physical therapy or treatment, mental health treatment, lost wages, lost funds, and long-term pain and suffering.

Injured in a Car Accident? We Will Fight for You

If you have been injured in a car accident, you need to focus your energy on healing mentally and physically. You don’t need the extra stress of fighting with insurance companies to make sure you are fairly and fully compensated. We’re here to take on that fight for you.

Let TJ Grimaldi be your voice to the insurance company so they don’t take advantage of you during your time of need. Contact our office today for a free consultation with TJ to learn how we can advocate for you and collect what is due to you after your auto accident. Request your free consultation or call 813-226-1023.

The moments after a car accident are scary. You may be injured, disoriented, and confused about what steps to take — especially if the car accident wasn’t your fault.

We hope that you never find yourself in this situation, but we also want you to be prepared if you do.

Knowing what to do after a car accident that’s not your fault can help you keep calm, stay safe, and perform the due diligence needed to get the healthcare treatment and legal justice you deserve. It can protect you, your passengers, and your rights.

Here’s what to do after a car accident that’s not your fault.

#1) Check yourself for injuries.

The first priority after a car accident is to check yourself for injuries. Take a deep breath, and do a body scan to see where you may have been injured. Note that adrenaline may kick in after a car accident, and it’s possible that you could have injuries that you don’t immediately notice. Scan your body, and if you have a severe injury, wait in the vehicle and call for help.

#2) Check your passengers for injuries.

Next, check any passengers in your car. Give them directions to scan their bodies, reminding them that they may not feel certain injuries as their bodies react to the shock of the car accident. If a passenger has an injury, call for help and offer aid.

#3) Assess your surroundings and move to safety — if possible.

If you and your passengers are in stable condition, your next action should be assessing your situation and deciding if you can and should move to safety.

If you were in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you may think you should leave the vehicle as is so you can gather evidence about the accident. But, if the vehicle is in a position that is dangerous and is in condition to be moved, move it to safety.

If the vehicle can’t be moved, take a moment to assess your surroundings before leaving the vehicle. Check for traffic or hazards outside before exiting.

#4) Check on others, and call 911.

Once safe, check on the drivers and passengers of other involved vehicles, and call 911 for help. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may need police and/or emergency care services. Report the accident, and provide as much detail as possible to help emergency teams assess your needs.

#5) Gather information.

If you were in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s important to collect as much information as possible. The more details you have, the better your case will be if insurance companies fight, deny, or downplay your claims.

Collect:

Names and contact information of involved drivers
Insurance information for involved drivers
License plate information and make, model, and color of involved vehicles
Names and contact information of other passengers
Names and contact information of any witnesses
Name and badge number of police officers (ask them when and where you can get the police report)
Location and time of the accident
Dashcam footage, if available

Use your phone to take photos of all involved vehicles, and capture close-up photos of damages (inside and outside of vehicles). Also, consider writing down any notes about what happened leading up to the accident while your memory is still fresh.

#6) Seek medical care.

You may feel fine after an auto accident, but you may not fully feel the effects of the accident for a few hours or even a few days.

Be proactive, and seek medical care to ensure that you don’t have any issues that need immediate assistance. Plus, a medical report can help you in the event that you have injuries caused by an accident that wasn’t your fault. It can be useful in proving damages.

#7) Get legal help.

If you’re in an auto accident that wasn’t your fault, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is responsible for damages. But, it may not be as simple as filing a claim to get what’s due to you.

To make sure you go through the claims process properly and get full compensation for damages, talk to a personal injury attorney with experience in auto accidents. An attorney can guide you through the process and make sure you get what’s due to you.

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to more than just damages for your vehicle and immediate medical treatment. You might be entitled to costs related to:

Long-term physical therapy or treatment
Mental health treatment
Lost wages
Lost funds (for example, the cost of canceling a vacation due to the accident)
Long-term pain and suffering

An experienced auto accident attorney can make sure you get what you need to become whole — physically, emotionally, and financially — after a stressful car accident.

Have you been in a car accident that wasn’t your fault?

If you don’t know what to do after a car accident that wasn’t your fault, we’re here to help.

All consultations at TJ Grimaldi are free. We’re here to listen to your story and tell you how we can help you get what’s due to you. Request your free consultation or call 813-226-1023, and talk to me personally about how my team can help you fully recover after a car accident.

Call us now: (813) 226-1023

Injured in a Car Accident? Here’s What You Need to Do Right Away.