There are steps you can take immediately after a car accident that can make it easier for you to financially and physically recover. What do those steps look like, though?
Don’t worry. Simmrin Law Group is here to help. Our California car wreck lawyers can break each step down so it’s easier for you to get back on your feet again.
Working With Medical Professionals Has Myriad Benefits
You should never compromise your or a loved one’s medical health for the sake of a legal case. If you or a passenger get hurt in a car wreck, get in touch with emergency medical professionals as soon as possible. You can work with witnesses to call 911 and use rudimentary CPR to treat any pressing injuries.
That said, do not engage in CPR unless you are trained to do so.
Get Witnesses’ Contact Information
It’s also in your best interest to get witnesses’ contact information while those witnesses are still at the scene of your accident. While you shouldn’t risk your health to get this contact information, you can elect someone mobile to do so for you.
Alternatively, if your injuries aren’t severe, you can go around and request witnesses’ phone numbers, email addresses, and statements.
Don’t worry about getting everyone’s contact information while you’re still at the scene. If you choose to work with an attorney later down the line, our team can reach out to attending passersby on your behalf. Likewise, do not pursue a liable party if they flee the scene of your accident.
A liable party who drives away from your crash without exchanging their contact or insurance information engages in a hit and run. You should let police officers track that party down and bring them to justice. In the meantime, you can work with an attorney to explore your possible avenues toward accident compensation.
Reach Out to a Car Crash Attorney
You do not have to work with an attorney to recover from a car crash. You can choose to pursue compensation through an insurance provider or waive your right to accident-related compensation. That said, working with an attorney allows you to do more than secure compensation for your losses.
An experienced car accident lawyer can oversee any conversations you may have to have with police officers, insurance claims adjusters, witnesses, and a liable party. That oversight can help you protect your right to legal action. It can also help you avoid circumstances wherein you might have to assume some of the fault for your losses.
You can contact a car accident attorney while you’re still at the scene of an accident. That said, you don’t have to reach out to a lawyer right away. So long as your statute of limitations hasn’t expired, you can contact a law firm like Simmrin Law Group and book a free, no-obligation case consultation.
File an Insurance Claim
So long as the party liable for your accident remains at the scene, has appropriate coverage, and gives you their provider’s contact information, you can file a car accident claim with their insurance company. Ideally, that insurance provider will offer you a settlement that can help you pay off your most immediate accident-related expenses.
You can’t always take an insurance claim adjuster’s word at face value, though. Many insurance providers want to protect their bottom lines more than they want to help you recover from your losses. As such, some insurance claims adjusters will undervalue your losses after a car crash. Other insurance providers may outright deny your claim.
If you’ve contacted an attorney, you can request that said attorney intervene in these circumstances. Simmrin Law Group can specifically appeal a denied car accident claim on your behalf. We can also accuse an insurance provider of bad faith behavior and take the provider to civil court accordingly.
Investigate Your Accident
Should you fail to get the compensation you need to recover from an insurance claim, or if the liable party doesn’t have coverage, you can take a car accident case to court. Our car crash lawyers can return to the scene of your accident to bring forward the data needed to fulfill California’s burden of proof.
That evidence can include the following:
- Dash camera footage
- Statements from bystanders
- A police report including speculation about car accident liability
- Video footage from cell phones, street cameras, and storefronts
- Photos of the scene
- Input from expert witnesses, including accident recreationists
Calculate Your Possible Car Accident Damages
You must additionally calculate the value of the legal settlement you want from a car accident trial should you intend to take your case to court. You can base the total value of your case on your economic and non-economic car accident losses, which can include the following:
- Property damage
- Property rental and restoration, as applicable
- Lost wages
- Lost opportunities to pursue employment
- Emergency medical care
- Long-term medical care, including pain management and mobility aids
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death, if applicable
File Your Claim With a Civil Judge
As mentioned, you need to file a car accident claim within the statute of limitations set by the California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 if you want the right to argue for accident compensation. This statute of limitations limits your actionable time to two years.
This means that you need to file your car accident claim by the second anniversary of your accident if you want to take your case to trial.
Let Simmrin Law Group Prepare You For a Car Accident Lawsuit
The sooner you can take action after a car accident, the faster you can get your life back on track again. You have a lot of different recovery-oriented tools at your disposal, including the car accident lawyers serving greater California. Simmrin Law Group can help you navigate the complexities of civil court while still giving you the breathing room you need to recover.
If you choose to pursue a civil claim against the party responsible for your car crash, you can more easily demand fair compensation for your losses. Let our team take a closer look at the negligence that led to your accident before acting on your behalf. You can contact us online or by phone today to set up your first free personal injury case evaluation.