Being involved in an accident can be a highly stressful experience, often leaving individuals feeling disoriented and unsure of what to do next. It’s easy to make mistakes that could worsen the outcome or complicate the claims process. Taking the right steps after the accident is crucial for your safety, claim, and your recovery. When you call the Law Firm of Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers we can guide you through the process.
Mistakes to Avoid:
1. Failure to Notify Police
Following a vehicle accident the first step should be to contact the police and request an ambulance if there have been injuries. It is imperative to involve the authorities as a police report provides an official account of the accident that helps to establish fault, will locate insurance and describe the sequence of events. In some cases when an accident is in a parking lot the police may not write a report and in those cases it is important to contact the police the way the report can be written. Kentucky law does require that the police require that the police be contacted in the event of an accident.
2. Failure to Get Immediate Medical Care for Injuries
In cases of an injured driver or injured passenger the police will call an ambulance to be transported by ambulance to the emergency room closest to you. In some cases you may be transferred to a larger facility for more serious care. Even in the event that of non-life threatening injuries, such as neck, back and other types of non-threatening injuries you should seek immediate medical treatment. If you are dizzy or not feeling coherent you should not drive a vehicle and should be taken by ambulance. It is very important to have medical care not only to ensure that you get the medical treatment you need but to document your injuries since in time you may be more seriously injured than you realize.
3. Failure to Get Information
If possible, you or your passengers should always get the names and contact information of the other drivers, including their insurance information and any witnesses who saw the collision. It is very important for you to later establish fault against the other person, assuming you are not at fault, and to have insurance information to file a claim. The police should prepare an accident report with this information which is required by Kentucky law.
4. Failure to Document the Accident
As soon as possible it is important to take photos and even video of any damage to vehicles in the accident, road conditions, traffic signals, skid marks and include any obvious injuries for yourself or your passengers. This evidence will help your attorney and/or insurance company process your claim providing crucial information for reconstructing the events. Failure to document the accident scene can weaken your case especially if there is a dispute about what happened.
5. Failure to Notify a Personal Injury Attorney and your Insurance Company
It is very important to immediately notify your own insurance company as soon as practical of the accident, even if it is not your fault. We also recommend that you contact a personal injury attorney with experience in representing the injured in car and semi-truck accidents. It requires special expertise and experience for you to be well represented. Upon representation your attorney should contact your insurance provider to open a claim and reserve PIP benefits for your case to proceed along with the insurance company for the driver who was at fault and caused the collision. A team member from Flora Templeton Stuart will take immediate and prompt action if contacted to represent an injured person in a vehicle accident.
The Law Firm of Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers have represented the injured in car, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, pedestrian and other accidents for close to 50 years providing personal and dedicated representation to our clients. Don’t hesitate to call us at 888-782-9090 if you or a loved on has been injured through no fault of your own due to the negligence of another driver. We are here to help.
