What to Do if You’ve Been Involved in an Accident That Wasn’t Your Fault: Three Important Steps
Being in an accident can be an extremely stressful experience – and not only for its immediate effects.
This is especially the case if the accident wasn’t your fault; it’s key to how to handle the events that follow to ensure you’re adequately protected, and of course, it’s much better to know what to do preemptively.
In this short article, you’ll learn of the three main elements to making sure the aftermath of an accident goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention
The most important thing of all to do following an accident is to seek immediate medical attention – even if you don’t think your injury warrants it. Many injuries, such as concussions and whiplash, have dangers that are not initially apparent; a doctor will need to check you over for any signs of internal bleeding and possibly order an X-ray depending on the severity.
Also important is that the medical report following the event will be vital should you need to make a personal injury claim.
2. Gathering Evidence
Having made sure you’ve been checked over by a doctor, had any necessary diagnosis, and given yourself space to rest, it’s time to gather evidence to report the incident to the insurance company so you can make a claim.
Even if it seems blatantly obvious that the accident wasn’t your fault, you’re still going to need evidence to prove it. Beyond documentation like medical reports and bill receipts, photos are very important: snap pictures of your injuries and anything related to it.
That latter part can be tricky, as if you’ve slipped on a wet floor at work, for example, the last thing you likely considered was taking a picture of it at the time. This is where eyewitnesses are key, as is acquiring any CCTV footage. If it’s a more serious accident such as a car crash, police reports will also be a very valuable piece of evidence.
3. Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
As you may imagine, collecting all the necessary evidence can be a minefield, and you’re unlikely to know the ins and outs of the law enough to do the job properly.
A personal injury lawyer is an invaluable asset in this regard. These professionals specialize in helping people who have had an accident due to someone else’s negligence – they’ll thoroughly go through your case with a fine-tooth comb to determine how much compensation you’re entitled to. They’ll also handle any negotiations with the insurance companies, which is often a very stressful event for most people going through this.
Thankfully, many personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, so you can thoroughly discuss your case with an expert before putting any money down. It’s also usually the case that you don’t pay any fees unless you win, but make sure you’re completely clear on this before going ahead.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, you now have a decent understanding of the details of dealing with an injury that wasn’t your fault. Above all, the best offense is defense: go in prepared, and you’ll have a far less stressful experience.