It happens so fast. One minute, you’re driving down the freeway listening to your favorite song on the radio. The next, you’re sideswiped by a careless driver and left with injuries to your neck or back, or worse, broken bones.
Data from the CDC shows that these injuries happen every day, with an estimated 3 million nonfatal injuries occurring each year.
Knowing what to do after you’re injured in a car accident can make a huge difference, especially as medical bills start piling up. Keep reading to learn what you’ll want to do following your accident.
Seek Medical Attention
There’s a lot going on in your mind following an accident. So much so that your body’s adrenal glands activate, which can make you feel as though your injury isn’t as bad as initially believed.
However, adrenaline will wear off over time. When it does, all of those masked aches and pains surface.
That’s why you’ll need to be proactive. Even if you got injured in a car accident and don’t feel it’s worth visiting a hospital, do yourself a favor and get checked out by a medical professional.
It’s quite common for auto accident-related injuries like whiplash to take days or weeks to surface. So don’t leave your injuries up to fate. Take care of yourself, even if you believe you’ve walked away from the accident unscathed.
Collect Documentation
As if dealing with the residual pain from your car accident isn’t bad enough, dealing with your medical and auto insurance can feel more infuriating than the accident itself. To minimize the back and forth between your insurance agencies and make sure you get the coverage you’re owed, you’ll need to stay organized and collect certain documents.
For starters, obtain a written note from the doctor who examined you post-accident. Your medical insurance provider will do their best to minimize the injuries you sustained so they can avoid paying for your coverage. A doctor’s note is concrete evidence that you were, in fact, injured as you claimed.
Likewise, you’ll need a copy of the final accident report. Contact the police department that responded to the accident and they should be able to send over a copy without a problem.
You’ll also need to gather any photos from the scene of the accident or eye-witness testimonies.
Contact a Lawyer
Even with the above evidence, insurance companies don’t want to fulfill their end of the bargain. Or perhaps you’re dealing with a negligent driver and wish to seek damages.
In these cases, you’ll want to contact an accident attorney as soon as possible.
A blog post from Sargent Law Firm, which you can read at sargentlawfirm.com, brings up an important consideration. What you say at the scene of the accident can hurt or help your case.
While saying the wrong thing can make the case more challenging, a good law firm should be able to help you out regardless.
Injured in a Car Accident?: Follow These Steps
Nagging injuries are only the beginning of your worries. Follow these steps to make sure you’re taken care of and can seek the justice you deserve.
If you have any questions about evidence collection, make sure to consult an accident attorney.
For more information on what to do if you’re injured in a car accident, check out the health section of our blog!
