Remarkably, many people hurt their personal injury case right off the bat by not taking the proper precautions when they are in an accident.
We wear gloves when it is cold to prevent frost bite. We wear baseball gloves to play baseball so that our hands and body are protected. We wear belts to keep our pants from falling. Why not take precautions to prevent yourself from being scammed right after an accident?
Sometimes the scams come from lawyers, police officers and insurance adjusters. With this information, you will be better informed and you will be armed and ready for progressing with your case.
First, the thing you need to do is to ascertain whether you need medical attention. Most people determine that they are all right when asked right at the scene of an accident. In fact, in minor accidents, most people will tell you that all is fine. That is because their adrenaline is flowing, and they do feel all right at that moment. However, most car accidents should require some immediate medical attention.
Don’t try and tough it out. It usually isn’t until 24-36 hours later until one starts feeling the true impact of the accident. Don’t be a tough guy/gal in these situations. Err on the side of caution. I’ve seen people have minor fender benders, but their head struck the steering wheel. Such injury could lead to brain damage or worse. Anyhow, make an immediate assessment of whether you need medical attention.
Even if you don’t take an ambulance to the emergency room, it is best for you to seek immediate medical attention.
Second, get the other driver’s information.
This may sound pretty straight forward, but don’t be fooled into falling asleep on this one. Too often I see people simply “exchange information.” The client obtained a name, e-mail address, an address and phone number for the person thinking that would be enough, only to come to find out that the person lied!
Yes, that is right. Many unscrupulous people are out there. Make sure that you get this information, but look at their insurance card, write the year, make and model of the car and take down the license plate number. The last thing you want to do is to try and track this person down four to five months later with information that is not credible.
Third, don’t rush.
In “minor” car crashes, many people want to rush to get going. If there is not major visible damage to the car, they just want to take off.
Don’t fall into this trap. I’ve seen minor fender benders with thousands of dollars in damage to the car’s frame that couldn’t even be seen. Everybody has schedules and everybody is in a hurry, but don’t let the person who hit you try and make you feel bad for wanting to be detailed and complete.
Get the information. Call the police. Do what is necessary to protect yourself. Remember, those first few minutes after the accident could make the difference between you being fully compensated and protected or left flying in the wind.
Don’t become a victim twice. Take these practical steps and use them.
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David Standridge is a local Albuquerque attorney and will provide free consultations for personal injury. You can contact the Standridge Law Firm at: info@standridgelaw.com or call for an appointment at 880-8737
