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So, you were in a car accident. Your body aches, your car is totaled, and you’re feeling dazed and disoriented. More than likely, if you’re on our site, you believe that the other driver is at fault. As a Quincy car accident lawyer, I understand all those feelings. If you’re looking to hold the other driver responsible for the accident, here are a few things you need to do to protect your rights.
#1: Keep the Details Clear by Writing Them Down
Whether your accident was 20 minutes ago or 3 days ago, you need to do this as quickly as possible. Write down every detail you can remember—how fast you were going, how fast the other driver was going. Record the time you were hit and the events that immediately followed. Report any poor weather, visibility issues, or road conditions (even if you think they won’t matter).
If you took down the driver’s name and number, add this to the notebook. Add the names of any witnesses who were there, including your passengers and the other driver’s. If officers were on the scene, record their names and how the entire process was conducted.
If you still have your own vehicle, take photos from every angle.
When it comes to car accidents, important details begin to fade away quickly. Timing, who said what, and what actually happened can be a bit of a blur—writing down the details quickly preserves them, protecting your account of what occurred.
#2: Protect Your Credibility by Seeing a Doctor
Even if you feel fine, go see a doctor. One, some injuries may not manifest for a couple days. Neck pain, soreness, or a brain injury don’t always appear immediately. However, by seeing the doctor proactively, you’ll be able to catch injuries early and remain aware of how the accident affected your body.
Two, the doctor visit will put your medical condition on paper. A recent and official record of your injuries will provide a stronger claim to compensation than a doctor’s visit weeks after the accident.
Here’s the deal:
If you don’t see the doctor quickly, your insurance company may consider that as evidence that you were not actually injured. They’ll use it to limit your compensation. Even worse, they may challenge any injury you claim by arguing you must have received it after the accident, since you didn’t seek treatment earlier.
#3: Call a Quincy Car Accident Lawyer
Now, I understand that a lawyer telling you that you need a lawyer might inspire an eye-roll, but hear me out. Car accident attorneys work with accident reconstructionist to investigate your car crash. We have a network of medical and manufacturing experts who understand your accident better than you do. Most importantly, we have years of experience investigating these cases.
That means the sooner you call us, the sooner we can start developing your case and getting you answers.
Your insurance company, despite their best efforts to make you feel like they’re going to take care of you, has one job: limit their liability. As a Quincy personal injury attorney, one thing I can do is speak to your insurance company on your behalf before they attempt to resolve your case for far less than you deserve. This prevents you from saying anything that unintentionally endangers your claim.
So call today. Flanagan & Associates has a 9.5 “Superb” Avvo rating when it comes to car accident and personal injury litigation, and we have won multiple Clients’ Choice Awards for our work on their behalf. As a former insurance adjuster, I know the strategies insurance companies use to limit your compensation—let me help make sure you get the compensation you actually deserve.