- Car Accidents
After a car accident, everything you say and do can play a key role in the outcome of your claim. Thus, it is important to make sure that, before you see a Riverdale car crash attorney, you take the necessary steps to safeguard your case.
Here are the most important mistakes you must avoid making after a car accident. Contact our law firm today for a free case review.
1. Not Reporting the Accident
The Uniform Rules of the Road in Georgia state that any traffic collision resulting in bodily damage, death and/or at least $500 in property damage must be reported to the police. Failure to do so may result in penalties and will make proving your case much harder.
2. Leaving the Accident Scene
After reporting the car crash, you must remain at the scene until the police officers arrive to investigate. You will have to provide information about what happened, as well as license and insurance details. Leaving the accident scene before the police arrive equals is a hit and run offense and is punishable with jail time and fines.
The only situation when you may leave the scene without breaking the law is when your injuries are so severe, that the ambulance must take you to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
3. Failure to Collect Information and Evidence
While the police officers will perform a thorough investigation of the crash scene, you must also collect evidence to support your future claim. Thus, you should use your mobile phone to take photos and videos of:
- The position of the vehicles immediately after the crash
- Your injuries
- The damage to your car
- Skid marks, potholes, and any significant items
- Traffic signs and signals.
At the same time, look around for any eyewitnesses and ask them to provide you with a statement and contact details. Their stories may contain essential clues to helping your Riverdale car crash lawyer prove the other driver’s fault.
4. Failure to Seek Medical Attention
Medical care is expensive – but you should not skip going to the hospital for a check-up immediately after the crash. First and foremost, you must get immediate treatment for any invisible injuries, like internal bleeding or internal organ damage, which may put your life in danger.
Secondly, your lawyer must be able to prove causation – that your injuries were caused by the car crash, not in a separate incident. If you put off going to the hospital until you start feeling ill, several days later after the crash, this will be harder to prove.
5. Negotiating with the Insurance Adjuster on Your Own
Finally, you should not speak with an adjuster without first consulting with an attorney. Adjusters will try one of the following tactics on you:
- Getting you to accept a lowball settlement
- Persuading you that you do not have the right to file a claim
- Tricking you into making self-incriminating or contradictory statements.
A lawyer knows how to handle negotiations with an insurance adjuster, using knowledge of the law, experience, and legal precedents to win your case. Moreover, statistical data shows that people with lawyers win larger settlements than accident victims who represent themselves.
A Riverdale Car Crash Attorney Will Protect Your Legal Rights
Make sure that you take the right steps to safeguard your legal rights after a car accident. To avoid making any of these mistakes, the best thing to do is get in touch with an experienced Riverdale car crash attorney at Wade Law.
We have a combined experience of more than 70 years, including complex cases involving very large damages. We are not afraid to take big insurance companies to court if we cannot obtain the fair compensation our clients deserve.
Our law firm offers each new client a free case review, so call us today at 770-282-1188!
