4 Steps You Should Take After a Car Wreck

A car accident can happen with little warning leaving most victims feeling disoriented, distraught, and completely overwhelmed. However, it’s important to take a deep breath, assess your options, and consider your next actions carefully.

If you’re planning to file a personal injury claim, even a relatively minor mistake could hurt your chances of obtaining a fair settlement. Fortunately, a skilled personal injury attorney can help guide you through proceedings, advising you on how to sidestep common errors and oversights. Let’s look at a few steps you should always take after a car wreck:

1. Seek Medical Treatment

Visiting the doctor as soon as possible after a wreck will ensure that you receive the necessary treatments for your injuries. A prompt diagnosis will also demonstrate that you took sufficient steps to mitigate damages from the moment you were injured. Additionally, a diligent healthcare provider will create medical records that will make it easier for you to connect your condition to the wreck.

2. Gather Evidence from the Scene

If you are physically able to do so, you should begin gathering proof at the accident scene. Such evidence can include videos of the wreckage, photographs of your injuries, eyewitness statements, dashcam footage, and the official accident report. Make sure to compile this evidence in a safe place to share with your attorney during the initial consultation.

3. Track Your Damages Carefully

You will only receive compensation for expenses and other damages that you can prove. As such, you should save copies of any receipts, invoices, and bills related to your treatment and other associated costs.

4. Curb Your Social Media Use

After a serious wreck, you may want to reach out to friends and family on social media for emotional support, guidance, or just to vent your frustrations. However, as the insurance adjuster may monitor your accounts for evidence that could be used to dispute aspects of your claim, you will need to think carefully before hitting “post”.

Your comments could be misrepresented or interpreted differently to challenge your credibility. Even pictures that you upload online could be used to dispute liability and damages. We will likely advise you to deactivate your accounts for the duration of proceedings. However, if this isn’t possible in your situation, you should ramp up your privacy settings to limit who can view and interact with your posts.

Discuss Your Case with a California Car Accident Attorney

While car accidents are commonplace in the state, the consequences are anything but routine. Victims often incur thousands of dollars in medical expenses, repair costs, and other losses. If you were hurt in a wreck, turn to our California car accident attorneys for advice.

From the moment you pick up the phone, our compassionate team will treat you and your family with dignity, respect, and professionalism. While our top priority is to help you achieve a favorable outcome in your case, we will also work to ensure that proceedings are as simple and stress-free as possible. To request a free case assessment, dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS or head over to our contact page HERE.