April 19, 2016
Top Four Steps To Take After An Accident
Injury Trial Lawyers, APC has over 35 years of combined experience helping San Diego residents get the compensation they deserve. If you have been injured in an accident in San Diego, we recommend you follow these steps:
- Seek immediate medical treatment
You should immediately seek medical treatment to minimize the long-term impact of any injuries suffered. Further, failing to promptly seek medical treatment may jeopardize your ability to maximize your financial compensation. From the perspective of an insurance company, anyone seriously injured would seek medical assistance right away.
Claiming serious injury, without the proper medical records to support your claim, creates an unnecessary hurdle for your case. Further, your safety and wellbeing should be top of mind after an accident, so it’s wise to seek treatment even if it means incurring those costs in the short-run.
- Collect Evidence
Immediately after an accident, and your condition permitting, you may be able to get the names of witnesses who saw the incident. This information could be vital in a situation where liability is at issue.
Beyond witnesses, find out if there were any surveillance cameras in the area that may have captured the event. Any sources that collaborate your version of the events can be useful if the negligent party denies responsibility.
- Do Not Admit Fault
After being injured in accident, you may have an understanding of the facts that isn’t accurate. Therefore, do not admit fault. It’s best to wait until collecting and reviewing any available evidence including security camera footage or eye witness reports. Before doing so, any admissions of fault are premature and can be used against you if trial becomes necessary.
- Seek Legal Assistance
The most common mistake people make after an accident is attempting to negotiate compensation on their own. Unfortunately, you’re too close to the accident to objectively evaluate your damages. A skilled personal injury lawyer can properly evaluate your injuries to better assess damages. Because we deal with injury victims on a daily basis, our attorneys and team of experts understand both the short and long-term consequences of your injuries.
Lastly, we deal with insurance companies on a daily basis. Insurance companies, including your own, pretend to be your friend. However, their only goal is to settle the matter as quickly and cheaply as possible. That’s where we come in. Our accident attorneys will advise you against accepting an inadequate settlement.
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