Car accidents can potentially turn your life upside down. Painful injuries, missed time at work, and piling medical debt can all take a toll in an already difficult time. However, with the help of an experienced car accident attorney and by taking proactive measures following your accident, you could lessen your stress and seek compensation that could alleviate some of your financial worries.
For more information on what steps to take after a St. Louis car accident or for other skilled legal counsel, contact our firm today.
Motorists should follow a few basic guidelines if they are involved in a T-bone collision, head-on crash, failure to yield wreck, or other types of car accidents in St. Louis.
When someone is in a crash, they will want to make sure there is a police report. Contacting the authorities is essential because attorneys can often utilize the information on this document to help establish liability. The sooner an officer can get to the scene of the crash, the sooner they can document vital evidence that could be lost as time passes.
If the individual is injured, they need to get proper medical care, including follow-up appointments and the initial emergency room visit. Injured parties often avoid seeking medical care because they do not have health insurance and do not want to incur large bills. However, getting proper care is vital to their wellbeing, their injury claim, and the potential compensation they could receive. The only way to prove their damages and injuries is if there is a record of their existence, and the best record is their medical bills and medical history.
Another critical step is taking photos. If circumstances allow, and injuries are not too severe, a motorist should take photos of the crash site, the damage to both vehicles, and the injuries sustained. If there are any witnesses present, it is also helpful to obtain their contact information.
There are many attorneys out there and a common mistake is contacting legal representation that does not explicitly handle auto crashes. Hiring an attorney without experience and knowledge of car crash claims can be just as damaging to a claim’s outcome as trying to handle the case without representation.
With that being said, filing a claim without representation might be an option for a non-injury or low-impact scenario, but if a severe injury is involved, a person should avoid doing this. Insurance adjusters will not pay anywhere close to what they would pay if the plaintiff had the help of an attorney, especially if there is a lot of insurance coverage.
Some individuals are uncomfortable hiring a lawyer because they think this means they are suing the person who hit them. In truth, it only means that they are opening up a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance provider, and these claims often do not result in taking anyone into court or collecting money from the responsible party.
Knowing the steps to take after a St. Louis car accident can impact the success of your injury claim. Let The Law Offices of Kevin J. Roach, LLC help guide you through the process and ensure you are equipped with the knowledge that could result in you being awarded necessary compensation.
Reach out to our firm today to learn more or to schedule a consultation of your case.
