Experiencing a car accident can be a stressful and traumatic experience, and the damage from the accident can reach far beyond your damaged vehicle. If you were injured, you not only suffer a personal injury but may have lost wages and medical expenses, along with pain & suffering.
Once we are retained to represent you, we will reserve PIP benefits to pay your lost wages, medical expenses, home care, and other damages while you are recovering from your injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney is essential to ensuring that you recover what is rightfully yours, and Flora Templeton Stuart is here to help.
Read on to learn what you can expect following a car accident, the steps that you can take to get the recovery you deserve, and what to provide your personal injury attorney to enable them to give you the best representation possible.
Immediately following an accident, safety is your primary concern
If you have been involved in a car accident, it is important that you take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and your passengers as soon as you can. If the accident has occurred on a busy street and it is dangerous to remain in place, should the condition of your car allow, move your car out of traffic to prevent additional collisions happening from behind. Check on your condition and that of any passengers to determine if anyone is injured.
Document the scene with photographs, if possible
Should the situation not demand immediate movement for safety, it is a good idea to appoint another person, if possible, to take photos of the position of the vehicles before they are moved. The purpose of taking photos of the vehicles before they are moved is to preserve evidence. Once vehicles are separated, it may be difficult to identify the source of particular damage or the point or place where the collision occurred.
Contact the local authorities as soon as possible
After an accident, it is required by law to immediately call the police and remain on the scene until police arrive. If you are able to, call the police or ask a bystander. Advise them if you, your passengers, or other vehicle drivers and passengers in the accident have apparent need of medical attention. If that is the case, it is best to minimize movement for the safety of the injured persons and wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive.
Request that the police write a report of the accident
As long as the accident does not occur on private property or in a parking lot, police are required to fill out an accident report. The report will include details about the accident, such as the cause of the wreck, seatbelt usage, witness and insurance information, contact information for the parties involved, and even photographs in more serious cases.
Sometimes an accident can seem to occur faster than you can comprehend it, and everything moves fast afterward. During these trying times, things can be forgotten, and calling the police and obtaining an accident report is a way to ensure that a permanent record is created for an account of what occurred in the moments leading up to and during the car accident. For an experienced personal injury attorney to help you the most with your car accident, this information is very important.
Collect contact information from the other driver/s and also any witnesses
The preservation of a record of the accident is important, and knowing who the other driver/s are is essential. Generally, the police will facilitate the exchange of information, but make sure that you get their identifying and insurance information. If there are any witnesses present who are willing to give a recollection of their version of events, record it, and collect their contact information to reach out to them at a later time as necessary.
Seek out medical attention after the accident; it is better to be safe than sorry
The adrenaline of being in an accident brings forward the fight or flight rush associated with a life-or-death situation, and this can dampen pain. In some cases, even serious physical issues might not present signs for many days after an accident. Without immediate pain, you may not notice an injury that occurred during the accident at first. Just because you are not in pain does not mean that you aren’t injured, so allow the emergency medical personnel an opportunity to examine you.
If nothing requiring emergency medical care is deemed present by emergency medical personnel, contact Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers so that we can refer you to reputable physicians. It is important to seek out medical attention to ensure that you have not experienced an injury that may not manifest until later. Provide details on any physical complaints you might have, being honest, and taking care to be accurate and not minimize your pain or symptoms. Keep all of the related medical records to potentially use as evidence should any insurance or legal claims arise.
Importantly, if you are injured in an accident and fail to seek medical attention, it could harm your ability to recover compensation later. For this reason, you should always see a doctor or your local emergency room after an accident, even if you think your injuries will resolve on their own.
Contact your insurance agent to report the accident
It is important that you contact your insurance company and report the accident as soon as possible, as some scheduling requirements must be met to preserve your rights to reimbursement for medical expenses and any lost wages. Align repairs for your vehicle. Keep records to ensure compliance, as the Kentucky Division of Insurance Fraud requires that accident reports be accurate.
Schedule an appointment with leading personal injury attorney Flora Templeton Stuart
If you or a loved one have been through the unfortunate experience of a car accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can make the difference between having your medical bills and damages covered or having to battle with insurance companies every inch of the way.
Reach out to Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation by submitting a case evaluation form, or by calling 888-782-9090 to speak personally with Ms. Stuart.
With over 46 years of experience and offices throughout Kentucky and in Tennessee, we have a team of professionals ready to advocate for your rights. Following are the answers to a few common questions to start the dialogue, and we look forward to speaking with you about your case.
FAQ
Who is responsible for medical bills, property damage, and other damages in a car accident?
When you have been injured in a car accident and experienced damages, generally, it is the insurance company of the at-fault driver or your own insurance company that will cover the damages.
If the insurance company refuses to cover your damages, what can you do?
While we pay for insurance to be covered as needed, insurance companies increase their profits by paying out as little as possible, underscoring your need for legal representation.
How does hiring a personal injury attorney work?
We represent all injury clients on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that we only get paid if we collect a settlement on your behalf. We work from day one to maximize the settlement in your case, which includes getting you to excellent physicians to document your injuries and seeking compensation for any damages sustained in the accident so you can focus on your recovery.
