What to Do After a Car Accident

In the aftermath of a North Carolina car accident, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially if you suffered serious injuries. However, you may be able to pursue a personal injury lawsuit to obtain the financial compensation that will help you cover your accident-related expenses. That said, dealing with car insurance companies in hopes of receiving a fair settlement can add to your stress. And, if the insurance company denies your claim or comes back with a lowball offer, you may feel like you are out of options. However, at the Olsinski Law Firm, PLLC, we are here to help. Our experienced North Carolina car accident lawyers have more than two decades of experience connecting accident victims and their families with the compensation they need, deserve, and are entitled to.

In the days, weeks and months after an accident, it may not be obvious what you can do to protect your interests. Below is a list of a few of the most important things to do after any car accident.

The first thing you should do after an accident is to call 911 or the local police or sheriff’s department to report the collision. This accomplishes several things. First, reporting an accident ensures that anyone who was injured receives the necessary emergency treatment. Second, by reporting the collision, you will create an official record which makes it harder for the insurance company to deny that the accident occurred or that your injuries were pre-existing or caused by an unrelated incident.

Next, be sure to speak with anyone who saw the accident, obtaining their name and contact information. At this point, you don’t need to take a statement from them, as your lawyer will handle that in the near future. However, before you leave the scene, you should also take out your smartphone and take pictures of the accident scene. This includes any damage to either vehicle, the vehicles’ locations on the road, and any road signs, street markings or fixed objects in the vicinity.

If emergency responders come to the scene, they will probably offer to take you to the hospital to get checked out. As a general rule, you should take them up on their offer. After an accident, your adrenaline is running high, and you may not realize that you’ve been seriously injured. Going to the emergency room ensures that you will get checked out to make sure that there was not any damage you didn’t immediately notice. Moreover, receiving prompt medical treatment is important to the success of a personal injury claim, should you choose to pursue one.

In the days or weeks after the accident, you will probably get a call from one or more insurance companies. The representative from the insurance company will appear to be sympathetic, but, in reality, anything you tell them can be used to deny your claim or reduce its value. If you have a car accident lawyer already, you can tell the insurance company representative they can talk to your attorney. Importantly, you should also report the accident to your own insurance company because your failure to do so may mean it won’t cover your claim.

Once you are ready, the final step is to reach out to a personal injury attorney to discuss your case. While there is no legal requirement you have a lawyer to file a claim or bring a case, studies repeatedly show that those victims who have an attorney end up securing larger damages awards than unrepresented accident victims. Your lawyer will listen to your story, investigate the accident, prepare a case to prove the other driver’s negligence, and handle all negotiations with the insurance company. And, in the event that the insurance company isn’t willing to extend a fair settlement offer, they will take your case in front of the jury to obtain the compensation you deserve.

If your head is spinning at the thought of filing a claim with another driver’s insurance company, or you’ve already had your claim denied, reach out to the Olsinski Law Firm, PLLC, for immediate assistance. At the Olsinski Law Firm, we have a long history of aggressively representing car accident victims and have earned many honors and recognitions for the results we’ve obtained. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with a Charlotte car accident injury lawyer, give us a call at 704-405-2580. You can also reach one of our Concord injury lawyers at 704-918-4747. We take all personal injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning we will not bill you for our services unless we can connect you with compensation for what you’ve been through.