A car accident can change your life in the blink of an eye. While you’ll have to confront pain, limited mobility, psychological trauma and financial losses in the aftermath of your crash, there are steps that you can and should take after your wreck to protect your safety and your rights. If you don’t take those steps, then you could set yourself up for a difficult recovery, and you may wind up cut off from the financial compensation needed to stabilize your finances and recoup your losses.
That said, we know navigating the aftermath of a car accident can be difficult to do given that you won’t want to devote the time and attention necessary to build a legal case and think about nuances of your recovery. But while thinking about the process in its entirety can be overwhelming, you can make the process much easier by breaking it down into more manageable pieces. So, let’s look at those incremental steps that you can and should take after your wreck.
There’s certainly a lot to do after a car accident. But you don’t have to let the stress of it all consume you. Instead, focus on taking these incremental steps that can help keep you safe and protect the viability of any future personal injury case that you may file:
- Call the police and medical personnel: You want to make sure everyone is safe and that their injuries are treated after an accident. Therefore, it might be a good idea to call 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance. Even if you don’t do that, calling the police can be beneficial since they’ll generate a report that may identify witnesses and provide an opinion as to causation. This can help support your personal injury claim.
- Take pictures: Photos can tell a compelling story about your accident and your injuries. Be sure to capture not only the damage caused to your vehicle, but also the surrounding area, including nearby traffic signs and signals as well as tire marks and vehicle resting positions. Also document the severity of your injuries.
- Follow your doctor’s recommendations: Sure, you’ll need to be checked out by your doctor immediately after your accident so that you can be treated for any existing injuries, but your recovery is going to take some time. So, ask your doctor about necessary follow up treatment and adhere to their recommendations. This will ensure that your recovery is fuller and more expeditious, and that you preserve evidence for your legal claim.
- Seek counseling: The emotional and psychological trauma caused by a car accident can be severe. You shouldn’t try to cope with it on your own. So, seek out the mental health treatment needed to get through the difficulties you’re facing.
- Talk to witnesses: Witness testimony can be key to protecting your rights since it can support your legal claim. Identify those witnesses who may be beneficial to your position and secure their contact information.
There are other steps you may want to take after your accident, including filing a personal injury claim in a timely manner, seeking out rehabilitation services and other forms of support and crating solid legal arguments. That might seem like a lot, but this isn’t something that you have to navigate on your own. Instead, you can seek out any assistance that may be needed to help you get through this difficult time and protect yourself and the life that you want.
