Car accidents are traumatic and painful, often causing far more than property damage. They happen in the blink of an eye but have long-lasting repercussions on the lives of accident victims, including lengthy recoveries, surgeries, physical therapy, disability, and sometimes tragic death. If you’ve been in a serious car accident, you may be able to do little at the scene other than wait for help to arrive, but if you’re able to take certain steps both immediately after the accident and during the days and weeks to follow, you can maximize your chances of physical and financial recovery.
If you’ve lost consciousness after an accident, you are completely dependent on others to help you, but if you’re able to move safely and use your phone, you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you can’t move without causing further injury, you could also hand your phone to an uninjured person to take certain important steps to preserve the accident scene on camera and gather evidence and information. Your cell phone becomes the perfect tool to do the following:
It’s important to protect yourself by going to the hospital immediately after the accident, preferably through EMS.
After an accident, it’s critical to ask for a complete medical evaluation as well as for emergency treatment of any severe injuries. Tell the doctor about every symptom, even if it seems minor. Trauma can mask some injuries that manifest later. Ask your doctor to make a detailed medical report with your injuries, their treatment recommendations, and your prognosis. Be sure to obtain a copy of the report and save all medical bills and healthcare-related receipts.
Once you’ve dealt with the early days of treating your injuries, you should have a better idea of the extent of your current and future financial damages. Ask for a copy of the police report and contact an experienced car accident attorney with a track record of successful claims for their clients. After reporting the accident to your own insurance company, direct all further contact with the insurance companies to an experience Atlanta personal injury attorney. Your attorney will investigate the accident by examining your collected evidence as well as the police report and eyewitness testimony. They may also consult with accident reconstruction experts and medical experts in order to prove liability on the part of the at-fault driver and to carefully calculate your financial damages plus an amount of compensation for pain and suffering.
A car accident attorney in Atlanta, Georgia will craft a compelling case to present to the appropriate insurance company to maximize your chances of gaining ample compensation for your damages.
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