Statistics show that most Americans will be in at least one car accident during their lifetime, and car accidents are also the leading cause of death for people 34 years old and younger. These facts can be attributed to a lot of things: drunk driving, cell phone use while behind the wheel, failure to wear seatbelts. Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that you yourself may be involved in a auto accident when you least expect it.
™
With this in mind, here are 8 important Dos and Don'ts for auto accident victims. These tips can help guide you should you be involved in an auto accident and might be thinking of hiring a car accident lawyer.
4 Dos for Car Accident Victims
1. Seek medical treatment after the accident if you are injured. Adrenaline or shock might make you feel like you're just fine, but you still need a doctor to confirm that you're okay. If you're not feeling well, describe to your physician the injuries you have. Don't exaggerate. Just make sure you completely relate what you've been through and where you need help.
2. If asked by your doctor to come back for a recheck, do so. Again, you might feel like you're already okay, but. It's best to follow doctor's orders
3. Have all your medical bills billed to your health insurance company. The at-fault insurance company will eventually pay the bills but that doesn't happen until the case is settled. In the meantime, your health insurance company will handle your medical bills.
4. Take pictures that show any property damage your vehicle has due to the accident. It's good practice to have visual evidence of the damage for documentation purposes.
4 Don'ts for Car Accident Victims
1. Don't give a recorded statement of what happened to anyone without first consulting with a car accident lawyer. This is only to make sure you don't say anything that might negatively affect your case should you decide to pursue a claim.
2. Don't sign authorizations for the release of your medical records. Again, without proper legal advice from an expert car accident lawyer, signing anything is never a good idea. Before you give anybody authorization to do anything, make sure you completely understand your rights.
3. However tempting, don't post anything about the accident or your injuries on any social networking sites. Under no circumstances tweet or post on Facebook about how you were in a car accident, unless you get prior approval from a car accident lawyer. Try not to share any accident information with anyone.
4. Don't write about the accident, your injuries, or medical treatment in your diary or journal. Again, don't create any written or recorded account of your experience without consulting with a car accident lawyer. This is not because you're thinking of filing a lawsuit, but just to make sure you don't do anything that might sabotage your claim in case you do decide you want to file one.
Unfortunately, auto accidents are a fact of life for Americans. Nobody wants to be involved in one, but the fact still remains that the more you know, the better decisions you can make. Consulting with a car accident lawyer is just one way of making sure you have all the information you need.
For those that have sustained injuries in an auto, truck or motorcycle accident, it is important that you don't hesitate to call an auto accident lawyer as soon as you are Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer able. The reason for this is that you need expert advice, when negotiating with insurance company lawyers to get the compensation you deserve to cover medical expenses, loss of income and any future medical bills and income loss you might sustain. Not only that, but you have a certain time frame to start negotiating these items and make a claim, but an expert lawyer that specializes in these cases can handle everything for you.
In the majority of cases, you get a free consultation to review your case and see what your rights are to settlement compensation. Just because the insurance company lawyers are calling doesn't mean you will get a fair settlement and in fact, they may be trying to settle to prevent you from future claims for ongoing physical therapy or future income loss. Many people make the mistake of thinking there will be more money coming to cover these items, but once you have settled, you are stuck with the medical bills and trying to put your family's financial future back together.
A lawyer that specializes in these cases can get you the compensation you deserve and they will normally take it on a contingency basis, which means you have no out of pocket expenses and they receive an agreed percentage, when a settlement is made. In the unlikely event a settlement agreement isn't reached, they will take the case to trial, but you will not incur a legal bill, regardless.
Research has shown that settlements are bigger, when you have an expert lawyer on your side negotiating your settlement. To protect your rights, the best thing to do is to hire a lawyer that specializes in auto accident injury claims, as soon as you are able. This gives you peace of mind and protects your financial interests in the case.
When you have been injured, through no fault of your own, it is crucial that you contact an expert attorney immediately, to deal with insurance company lawyers. It is best that you don't attempt to negotiate these settlements on your own because the insurance company is trying to get the best deal for themselves-not you.
With a personal injury lawyer on your side, you will get the best outcome with expert negotiations and you don't need to worry whether your medical bills will be paid or whether you will receive compensation for lost income. They are experts at negotiating these cases and they are settled the majority of the time. In the event they need to go to trial, you will have expert advice on your side to represent your interests.