Portrait of happy family sitting in car
The image source is Envato.
Despite the advancement toward better safety and self-driving technology, car accidents still occur regularly. Though they have decreased over the years, there are plenty of minor and major collisions that take place across the U.S. Some of them result in serious and fatal injuries. No matter how large or small, accidents cause initial shock followed by an overwhelming panic of what to do next. It’s best not to go down this rabbit hole of fear. To ease some of the anxiety, here are a few things your family should do after a car accident.
Go To The Doctor
While you might not feel like you were hurt, you still need to visit a doctor or emergency room to have your family examined. The most common after-accident injury is normally not seen on the surface. It occurs in the form of internal bleeding or brain trauma. Medical institutes have plans in effect when you come in after an accident. They’ll perform x-rays, CAT scans, or an MRI if they’re concerned the accident resulted in internal injury. If not, then no harm. If they do find something, then it can be treated immediately to avoid future complications.
Call Your Insurance Company
Hopefully, you were able to collect the other party’s personal and insurance information after the accident. If not, law enforcement officers probably helped gather that data. You need it to file a claim with an insurance company. Regardless if you were at fault or the other way around, contact both insurance companies to let them know the situation. Don’t wait days or weeks to make it happen. If it was a single-vehicle accident, then contact your insurance firm without delay to start a claim.
Bring In A Claims Adjuster
A claims adjuster is the individual who determines how much damage there is to the vehicle and the estimated cost for repairs. They also decide if the damage is so great that they have to consider the vehicle as totaled. If the car was undrivable at the accident scene, it’s probably at a body shop already. This is where the review would take place. If it was drivable, they may come to your home or ask you to take it to a body shop they’re affiliated with.
Seek Legal Counsel
Unfortunately, there are times when an accident lawyer is required to resolve an issue. Perhaps there are medical bills that aren’t covered by insurance. Maybe the other party wasn’t insured. For these cases, a car accident attorney in Winter Haven FL or your particular locale is the next step for your family. There are numerous firms in the area that help in these situations. Some organizations even hire subject matter experts (SMEs) on accident law. Thus, they’ve dealt with similar situations and know the best ways to get a settlement to cover your costs.
Get A Rental Car
In a situation where the vehicle is undrivable or will be at the repair shop for quite some time, you’ll need a temporary car. Normally, your insurance company will have some form of rental available as part of the collision coverage. What you get depends on the damaged vehicle. A four-door sedan doesn’t merit a full-sized SUV rental. The insurance company will have a per-day limit on the vehicle as well as a time limit.
Get Therapy
A serious car accident can cause trauma in family members. Smaller children are harmed if someone was severely injured. In these situations, the individual may experience depression or anxiety. In the worst case, they won’t want to get into another vehicle. In this situation, you want to seek therapy. Payment for this treatment might be included in your collision coverage. Even if it’s not, the situation must be addressed as soon as possible to avoid further problems.
Tips for finding the right law firm
If you have decided to seek legal advice after a car accident, you may be wondering how to find a good law firm. The first step to take is to search for a firm that specializes in the relevant practice area. You can click here to find lawyers with expertise in personal injury compensation and read reviews and testimonials. Contact firms that have an excellent reputation and track record and organize a phone call or a meeting to learn more about the firm, get to know the lawyers, and ask questions. It’s beneficial to find out more about fees, what the process of making a claim entails, and how long it may take. Legal experts will be able to give you an idea of how strong your case is. If you were not at fault and the accident was caused by negligence on the part of another road user, lawyers will collect and present evidence to give you the best possible chance of securing a compensation payout.
Final Thoughts
Once the shock of the accident has gone away, quickly focus on these tasks. Don’t go so fast as to miss a step, especially the one about going to the doctor or hospital. Foremost, make sure you and your family are safe before you take the next step. If the accident results in serious or fatal injuries, then put everything else on hold while you focus on recovery. If needed, assign a surrogate to help get the paperwork in order and set up appointments.
