IMMEDIATE FIRST STEPS
After getting into a crash:
- Make sure that everyone is okay.
- Move to the side of the road as soon as safely possible.
- Call 911 asap if anyone is injured. If no one is injured, then call 911 as soon as you can reasonably do so.
- Take photographs and witness information.
- Get Medical Treatment if necessary.
- Contact your insurance carrier to open a claim.
- Contact an experienced personal injury firm.
- Document everything you can.
Exchange your contact and insurance information with everyone involved. Get as much information about the other party as you can. If a driver hit you, get the license plate number and make and model. Take a LOT of photos of the cars and surrounding area. Make sure that you get a lot of close-ups of the vehicle damage and injuries.
Make sure that you take photos of the accident scene, signage, lights, etc. It would be best if you also took pictures of all personal injuries. Take more pictures than you think you’ll need. Take them at different angles and lighting so that your attorney has options on which photos are best.
If you suffered a slip and fall at a business, speak with a manager and fill out a report. Get witness contact information, including the person’s home address, telephone phone numbers, and email address. Ask them to make a cell phone video about what they saw.
If the accident occurred while you were working, you’d need to open a worker’s compensation claim. Make a police report even if the police won’t come to you. Most departments have online options, but you can also travel to the local police department to make a report.
See a doctor as soon as possible. If you can’t get to an emergency department, make an appointment sooner than later. Injuries generally worsen in the days after a crash. Getting immediate care improves the odds of getting the best treatment and the most money later.
CONTINUING CARE AND FOLLOW-UP
Call your insurance company and open a claim. Ask about Personal Injury Protection (PIP) that will help pay medical bills. Always see your Primary Care Physician and get a diagnosis and prescription for additional treatment. If your car insurance won’t cover treatment, it is essential to use your medical insurance!
Your insurer has a right to be repaid if you recover money later.
It’s essential to do everything your treatment team prescribes for you. If your medical provider recommends treating your injuries, be careful to do everything, including at-home exercises and stretching, and all follow-up appointments.
PAIN JOURNAL
Keep a pain journal. Record what happened and how you felt. Write down the story about how you were injured and what happened around you. Describe your car, motorcycle, the store where you fell, etc. Add all the details you can think of, even if they don’t seem necessary.
Give details about your initial injuries. You should indicate where the pain is and what it feels like. Is it numb, tingly, burning, dull? Also, show how bad the pain is on a scale of 10, with one being almost no pain and 10 being horrible pain. For example, if you’re feeling pretty bad pain on the right side of your neck, you might write, “July 15, 2021, burning pain on right side of neck, 7/10”. That will help you later when you can’t remember how you felt on a particular day.
Also, if some activity causes you pain, write it down!
Record your recovery. This should include how you feel physically and mentally. Don’t forget to write about any problems you might have with Activities of Daily Living (ADL). ADLs are things like getting dressed, cleaning the house, doing laundry, yard work, etc. If your injuries are causing difficulties in performing your ADLs, make notes about what kind of pain you’re feeling and where and how bad the pain is. Also, make notes about your progress and any improvements you’re experiencing.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Claims are lost and weakened by social media. Many legitimate injury claims are weakened or die because of FaceBook and Instagram posts. These posts may suggest that you weren’t injured that bad, or they can suggest prior injuries. INSURANCE COMPANIES CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND EVIDENCE THEY WILL USE TO PAY YOU LESS MONEY! Lock down your social media and do not post anything about your recent crash, accident, collision, fall, or injuries.
MISSED WORK
Record any missed work. Document every missed hour of work related to your injury, treatment, doctor’s visits, etc. If you work for yourself, write down any missed opportunities. Written documentation from your employer is always the best evidence of lost wages.
MISSED SCHOOL
Document any missed classes or training. If you’re a student, keep track of any hours you missed or classes that got marked “incomplete.” It would help if you also recorded any consequences you suffered, such as having to restart a quarter or not advancing with the rest of your class.
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES
Record all of your incidental expenses. Treatment will often require co-pays, toll fees, and fuel costs, and parking fees. Write down all of these expenses so that you can make a claim later and get repaid. You’ll also want to save all the receipts for exercise bands, braces, mats, and all the other equipment you purchase for your prescribed home exercises.
Don’t get greedy. Purchase only the equipment necessary to do the exercises prescribed by your treatment team. The insurance company doesn’t have to pay for unnecessary equipment or needlessly expensive items. They might have to pay you back for exercise bands that cost between $5-$10, but they won’t have to pay $100 for exercise bands that could be purchased for $5-$10. Those Gucci bands might look nice, but you’re going to have to pay for all but the $5-$10 that less flashy bands would cost.
Call The Best Crash Lawyers At Durflinger Oliver – (253)683-4180
You were likely injured because of someone else’s negligence. In that case, you need an experienced personal injury team on your side. Insurance carriers, their lawyers, and adjusters want to take your time while gaining your trust and cooperation. They’ll try to settle your claim before you know what it’s worth. It would help if you had an injury attorney to protect your rights so that you can focus on getting better.
Your consultation is always free, and there are no commitments. Tell the legal team at DO.Legal about your accident and find out more about your options.
