Have you ever been in an accident? Did you realize at the moment that it was the other person’s fault but due to lack of evidence, couldn’t prove it? Many accidents cause an injury and the person doesn’t realize that they were actually a victim. This is the reason when a personal injury occurs due to an accident, you need to follow these steps.
Stay Calm
This is very important, the moment you begin to panic, your body can go into shock. Whether it was a car accident or a slip-and-fall one, just try to stay calm and collected.
Check for Injuries
Look for what kind of injuries you and those around you have suffered. Most of the time there is an adrenaline rush at that moment in time which masks the pain and you don’t realize how badly you’re injured. Move your legs, arms, and toes, to understand if something feels off. Then, look for others, if the people with you are okay, and the other party as well.
Call the Police
Call the police as soon as you can. You can tell them the extent of the injuries and what happened. This is very important because police involvement will not only ensure that they’ll guarantee help with every step of the way, but also you’ll get the police report in case you need to make a personal injury claim later.
Stay at the Scene
No matter what, stay there until help arrives. Leaving can also make you susceptible to suspicion. Get everyone’s names, including the people involved and the witnesses if any. If someone is critically injured, perform first aid, if you know it. Otherwise, help them in any way you can.
Take Photos
Take out your mobile phone and take pictures of your injuries, the scene of the accident. Ensure that the position of the cars and damage and personal injuries of everyone is there. In this way, the documentation you collect will help you later.
Talk to the Police
When the police arrive, answer their questions. Tell them everything you know. You may show them pictures if you had to move the car or people for any reason. Tell them if there were any witnesses.
Go to a Hospital
Get yourself to check properly and keep all the medical records and bill documentation.
Get the Police Report
Police reports are easy to get. For example, if you’ve had an accident in Colorado, then there are certain steps you need to take. You need to find out how to get a police report after an accident in Denver, and this can be easily discovered by simply doing a quick search online. Be sure to get the incident report at the scene of the accident, which has an ID number on it. Use this ID number and go to the Record Unit at the police station. You will submit an order form, which can also be done online or via phone. You will probably have to pay an administrative fee as well.
The report you get will have your name, address, phone number and email, date, time and location of the accident; nature of your involvement in the accident; your accident report number, names of witnesses, the involved party, and reporting officer; the license plate number and issuing state of your vehicle.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If you want to get through the challenging domain that comes with insurance claims, you’d want to hire a personal injury lawyer because they will walk you through whatever you need to do in order to get a fair appraisal of the accident. They will need the police report, medical records, and bills, etc.
You need to make a claim even for a minor injury, but you must do it if you suffered an injury that put you out of work for some time.
Negotiation
Lawyers first consider negotiation before any lawsuit is filed, especially in the case of a personal injury. A good lawyer does not make a demand until the plaintiff reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI is when the plaintiff has recovered as much as possible, after the medical treatment. After negotiation, if both parties decide to settle, then there will be no lawsuit.
Lawsuit
If both parties do not settle, then the lawsuit is filed. It generally takes one to two years for a personal injury case to get to trial. If mediation doesn’t work, the trial begins. The trial itself doesn’t take that long, although they may get delayed. But remember delays don’t mean that something unfavorable might happen.
The steps provided here will be able to guide you through the experience if you ever sustain a personal injury in an accident. But remember the first step and stay calm, everything else comes later.
