It’s Never Too Soon to Call A Personal Injury Lawyer After an Auto Accident
If you’re involved in a moving vehicle collision, your first phone call might to be your spouse, the police, your insurance company or even the babysitter. Unless you need to call for immediate medical assistance, your first call should in fact be to an attorney experienced in handling automobile accidents and personal injury law.
While it’s okay to speak with a family member, you don’t want to start a conversation about the incident with a cop or an insurance claims adjuster without first speaking to an attorney. A lawyer can give you advice on how to avoid saying anything to hurt yourself with the police and how to avoid having the insurance company take advantage of your case.
The Questions That May Arise After an Auto Accident
Either the other driver involved, the police or the claims adjuster will want to ask questions, such as:
- Who, what, where and how: These are the basic pieces of information the police or the claims adjuster will be interested in. Armed with this information, they will begin to build their own idea of what happened, which might not square with yours.
- Witnesses/passengers: The police may ask around, and the insurer will want to know if anyone saw anything. You can also look for witnesses yourself.
- What you saw outside of the accident. Did you think, for example, it was dark?
- Were you doing anything other than driving at the time of the collision?
- Whether you were injured yourself. You can’t know unless you’re examined.
- Whom you believe to be at fault
What a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Do for You if You’re Involved in a Car Accident
Matters of fault are the last thing you want to be discussing with anyone. It calls for a conclusion that only the available evidence can lead to, not your opinion on what happened. This is one reason among many you should talk to a lawyer first.
An auto accident attorney can help you deal with these questions and more. They can:
- Tell you what information you’re required to provide to the police and the insurance company, and how to best provide it
- Help you find the best medical care if you need it, and to communicate with your family if you are unable to.
- Deal with your insurance company as well as the company representing the other party to the collision, if applicable.
Most importantly, the lawyer can help you get the money you’re going to need to get back to the position you were in before the accident. This means getting money for mechanics, getting the hospital bills paid and compensation for lost wages because of the accident. In some cases, you may get compensation for pain and suffering that you experience because of the injury.