What To Do if You Are Injured as a Passenger in a Accident?
Passengers in vehicles are often at the greatest risk for suffering catastrophic injury in the event of a collision. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), passenger vehicle occupant deaths represented sixty-two percent of the 36,096 motor vehicle crash deaths that occurred in 2019.
For this reason, it is critical that you make sure to take steps to protect yourself and prepare for the worst. If you have been seriously injured as a passenger in a car accident, you may be terrified and unsure of what to do next.
An experienced Alabama car accident lawyer at Hedge Copeland can help you get through these tough times. Call our office at (251) 432-8844 to schedule your free consultation today.
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Immediately after your car accident, the most important thing you can do is get medical attention. Even if you are feeling “fine”, you may have injuries that are invisible and could cause you further injury or illness if left untreated. Call 911 and wait for healthcare providers to arrive on scene.
Waiting to be seen by a healthcare provider could also have a negative impact on your ability to be awarded compensation later. If the liable party has any reason to argue that your injuries were not caused by the car accident in question, or that you are exaggerating the extent of your injuries, it could adversely affect your injury settlement.
If Possible, Document the Scene
While you are waiting for law enforcement and the ambulance to arrive at the scene, if you feel you can, try to document the sand. You can use your cell phone to take photographs of your injuries, the crash, the driver’s injuries, the position of the vehicles, any street signs, and video footage as well.
You might also try to obtain the contact information of any witnesses who may have seen the accident happen or have access to video footage that may have been captured from surrounding homes or businesses. Of course, if your injuries are so severe that you are unable to document the scene, do not worry. Your health and wellbeing are the most important thing. Your attorney can go back and obtain evidence at a later time.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
Once you have been deemed medically stable, one of the first calls you should make should be to your car accident attorney. The sooner you get an experienced lawyer working on your case the better. This is because you will need to act quickly to get started on your case. There will be a statute of limitations in place that will put a deadline on the amount of time that you have to file your claim, which is generally two years from the date of the accident.
But your attorney will also be able to begin figuring out who is at fault for the accident, gathering evidence to support your case, reviewing the various ways that your life has been affected by your injuries in order to calculate the value of your claim, and prepping your insurance claim.
Prepare to File Your Insurance Claims
Once you have retained a car accident and attorney to take on your case, you can begin preparing for your insurance claim. Alabama is a fault state for car accidents, which means you will be filing a claim with the liable party’s insurance provider.
While you are recuperating from your injuries, your attorney can handle the negotiations on your behalf. This can go a long way in helping to ensure that you are not taken advantage of by a profit driven insurance company.
Get Help from a Car Accident Lawyer in Mobile
Passengers in vehicles can suffer some of the worst injuries when a car crashes. If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident and you need help accessing the compensation that is rightfully yours, contact a dedicated Mobile car accident lawyer at Hedge Copeland for help.
Our firm proudly offers free, no-obligation consultations to car accident victims across Mobile and the state of Alabama. Claim yours when you complete our quick contact form or call our office at (251) 432-8844.
