Approximately 6 million car accidents occur in the U.S. each year and three million people are hurt car accidents in the U.S every year. In 2016, Wyoming, Mississippi and Montana were listed among the most dangerous states to drive in.
Regardless of where you travel, the likelihood of a car accident and getting hurt in a car accident is still very high. The U.S. Department of Justice says the most common personal injury cases are car accidents as 52 percent of those cases involve car accidents.
From head injuries, to whiplash to emotional trauma, the injuries one can incur if you’ve been hurt in a car accident are many and varied and it can be hard to know what to do after a car accident.
So what do you do? If you have been hurt, here’s what to do after a car accident.
Seek Medical Attention
After an auto accident, it’s recommended that you seek immediate medical attention. While some physical injuries may be apparent immediately, other symptoms much as discomfort and numbness can be delayed until several days after the incident. Even if you feel fine in the aftermath of an auto accident, getting medical attention is paramount. Getting immediate attention also helps improve a personal injury claim as you can prove the injuries came as a result of the car accident.
Taking Notes
From doctors visits, to prescriptions to receipts, it’s important to keep a detailed record of the accident and any repercussions from it, including notes on injuries and medical treatment. Doing so allows for a better personal injury claim.
To improve your personal injury claim, DMV.org recommends recording the following: as much information about the accident as possible, photos detailing the damage to your car, any proof of lost wages or other financial losses and contact information and names of any witnesses.
Consult a personal injury lawyer
If you’re unsure of how to proceed with personal injury claims after car accidents, a good step is to consult a personal injury lawyer.
Personal injury lawyers are well versed in handling claims, personal injury law and dealing with insurance companies. Personal injury lawyers can also help increase a personal injury settlement for a personal injury case and some of them don’t take a fee until a personal injury settlement is recovered. Depending on the size of the personal injury settlement, personal injury lawyers typically receive about 33 percent of a personal injury settlement.
Need to know what to do after a car accident? Make sure to seek immediate medical attention, keep a detailed record of everything that happens for a better personal injury claim and consider a personal injury lawyer for help in seeking a personal injury settlement. According to the American Bar Association, of the 1.3 million lawyers in the US, seven percent (or 91,000) are personal injury lawyers, so there a lot of options available. A database of personal injury lawyers and personal injury law firms can be found here