5 IMPORTANT STEPS AFTER AN ACCIDENT
After sustaining an injury in an accident, you are probably not in your right mind. To help you out, we have put together a list of five things to keep in your mind that you need to do following an accident to help your personal injury claim.
Call the Police
This is the most important thing you can do for your case. The sooner you can get a police report the better, as it will allow the police officer to talk to witnesses while the accident is fresh on their mind, and any evidence that needs to be noted will still be in place. You can always file a report later, it is always best to have this done at the scene. The police report will provide much of the necessary information needed when making a personal injury claim. Georgia law requires a police report when there is $500 or more in property damage or when there are injuries or fatalities.
Go to the Doctor
It is extremely important to go the doctor as soon as possible, even if you feel like you do not need to go. Sometimes your injuries will not set in for a few hour or even days after the wreck, so the sooner you can get to the doctor, the quicker you can start treating your injuries. Delaying going to the doctor can negatively impact your personal injury claim as insurance companies do not like gaps in treatment because it may show that your injuries were not severe or that you got hurt in some other way.
Follow the Doctor’s Orders
After going to the doctor, you will receive orders on how to continue to treat your injuries. This can include taking prescriptions, using ice or heat on your injuries, attending physical therapy, getting an MRI, or getting injections. Your doctor may also instruct you to have a follow-up visit a few days after getting checked out. It is important to go to these follow-up visits as you may develop more problems that were not present at your original visit. It is also important to keep your doctor informed of any ongoing issues or new problems that you develop.
File a Claim
Filing a claim as soon as possible is always best for your personal injury claim. In Georgia, you usually have to file a personal injury claim within two years of the date of the accident. We recommend filing at the day of the accident, because the longer you wait to file it, the harder it may be to prove your injuries or that the other driver was at-fault. There are a lot of documents that are necessary to have to prove your personal injury claim, and the longer you wait to collect them, the more likely they are to get lost or misplaced, which could cause trouble with your claim.
Call a Knowledgeable Hartwell Car Accident Attorney
Personal injury cases can be very confusing and it is best to not try to handle your claim on your own. An experienced Hartwell injury attorney will consult with you and review the details of your case and then help you with every aspect of your personal injury claim. A Hartwell car accident attorney will negotiate a settlement on your behalf with the insurance company to get you the best results possible. Contact The Van Dora Law Firm today to set up a free consultation to help you get compensated for the injuries you received in a car accident.
