Fresno Car Accident Attorneys

A serious auto accident is a traumatic event for both the victims and their families. While those involved in the crash may have to cope with devastating physical limitations, their loved ones might struggle to deal with the heartache of seeing a family member in pain. The aftermath can be particularly distressing if your financial security is being threatened by medical bills and lost income. Our Fresno car accident attorneys can review your case for free to determine if you may be entitled to monetary damages. We accept personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis, so if we don’t win a settlement or verdict on your behalf, you won’t owe any attorney’s fees. Our lawyers have helped clients collect more than $300,000,000, and we have many decades of combined experience representing auto accident victims. For a free consultation, dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS.

What to Do (and Not Do) After an Auto Accident

You may already know the importance of gathering evidence at the scene of a crash. Hopefully, you were able to take pictures of debris, injuries, property damage, and deployed airbags; record the contact and insurance details of other drivers; write down the contact info of eyewitnesses; and call the police so an officer could create an accident report. If you haven’t done so already, your top priority if you intend to bring a personal injury claim is to seek medical attention. You might think that all you need is to rest and perhaps take some over-the-counter painkillers, but your injuries might turn out to be more severe than anticipated. Also, you won’t be able to collect compensation for healthcare costs and related expenses unless you can prove the kinds of injuries you suffered and demonstrate that they were caused in the crash. If you put off your medical evaluation, it might be more difficult for your attorney to prove causation, and there’s a chance that you will face a dispute over a failure to mitigate damages. If the opposing party argues that your injuries would have been less severe or your recovery would have been shorter if you had sought immediate medical care and that a person of ordinary prudence would have sought medical attention given the circumstances, your financial recovery may be reduced.

After you have sought medical care, follow these steps:

• Call a Fresno Car Accident Lawyer Right Away: Once you leave the doctor’s office, you should reach out to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. It is not uncommon for critical evidence to be time-sensitive, so your lawyer will want to conduct a prompt investigation. Surveillance recordings and dashcam footage, for instance, might be overwritten shortly after the crash, and vehicle damage might be repaired. Your attorney can also take over the logistics of your case including all dialogue with the insurance company. This will prevent you from providing a recorded statement that can be used to challenge your claim. Finally, your lawyer can explain what you can do over the course of the proceedings to give your case the best chance of success.
• Prepare for the Consultation: Once you’ve contacted an attorney and set up the consultation, write down everything you remember about the crash. Provide details about what you were doing just before the collision, the injuries that you and other people sustained, the severity of any property damage, whether officers were at the scene, whether arrests were made, and miscellaneous factors that might have contributed to the accident such as poor weather. Then, compile any evidence you already have in your possession, which may include photos of the scene, eyewitness contact details, the contact info of other drivers involved, the contact info of your treating physician, your insurance policies, and the accident report.
• Create a Personal Injury Journal: Every day after the accident, take a few minutes to write a journal entry that explains your symptoms, their severity, and their frequency. Also, make note of any ways that the injuries are diminishing your quality of life such as by preventing you from attending social events or participating in favorite hobbies.
• Disable Your Social Media Accounts: Temporarily deactivate your social media accounts so the insurance adjuster cannot use your online content to dispute your claim. Also, tell friends and family not to post anything about you.
• Create a Schedule: An organized schedule for each day of the week can make it easier to stick to your medical treatment regimen, thus facilitating your recovery and reducing the likelihood of a dispute over a failure to mitigate damages. You can incorporate any doctor-approved physical activities into your schedule as well as healthy meals that might help facilitate your body’s natural healing process.

Speak with a Fresno Car Accident Lawyer Today

At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we are committed to helping accident victims and their families fight for the funds they need to move on with life. To schedule a free, no-obligation case assessment, send us a message online or call 1-800-GO-HARRIS.