The moments after a car crash are clouded and anxious. What happened? Are you injured? Is anyone else injured? What about the car? What do you do next? In those blurry moments it can be very hard to think about what needs to be done. You might need to hire a personal injury lawyer.
You may have gone to the emergency room for an evaluation. You’ll need copies of the attending physician’s medical report, and copies of any written prescriptions for your file.
If you were badly injured and still hospitalized, you may need to wait until your condition is stable enough to go home to start filing your claim. If you have someone who can make calls for you and help with administrative tasks (insurance calls, obtaining a police report, getting a rental car, etc.) enlist their help until you are well enough to do it yourself.
When you’ve sufficiently healed to leave the hospital, or you’ve seen your physician to follow up after your ER visit, it’s time to file your claims and hire a personal injury lawyer.
A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
The time to find a personal injury attorney is immediately. Start calling and interviewing personal injury attorneys as soon as possible after your accident, when you’re able to start handling things. An attorney who helped you with a previous legal matter may not be right to handle a car crash. The Love Law Firm stands ready to help with 18 years of PI experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Insurance companies don’t have your best interests at heart. They’re interested in getting your claim settled and off their books as quickly and cheaply as possible. If you accept a quick settlement, and later have problems with your car, yourself, or a loved one who was involved, you can’t go back and request more money. A skilled personal injury attorney will examine your case, review facts and evidence, and determine a fair settlement to help you get back on your feet.
Preserve All Available Evidence
This is one of the most important aspects of any legal case, but especially a car crash. Don’t expect the police report to have everything, because it may not.
If you have a smartphone, and you’re not familiar with the photo and/or video function, start learning and using them now, while you’re reading this, before you need it. If you need help, find someone who can teach you how to use it and practice often, because it will come in handy. You should take pictures and/or video of your car, the area, and any other relevant visual evidence, including witnesses. If you are at all able at the time of the accident, take pictures and video as necessary of everything you can. If you have a family member or friend available ask them to take additional pictures and video.
Assemble Your Case File
Once you’ve gathered your police report, medical records, pictures, video and audio evidence, insurance information and anything else relevant, it’s time to take these to your attorney. Keep copies of everything. Digital pictures and video can be placed on a flash drive, unless instructed otherwise.
The more information you can provide, the better. An attorney will likely request a police report as a matter of course. Additional information you can provide will help your attorney understand and build your case.
Who Was At Fault?
Your case will depend heavily on who is assigned fault in the police report. West Virginia’s Comparative Negligence system means that it may not be all the other driver’s fault. If you were using a cell phone while driving, and the other driver didn’t have enough time to respond, you could be partly responsible and a percentage of fault may be assigned. If your fault percentage is above 50%, you will not be eligible to receive a settlement.
Charleston’s Top Choice For Personal Injury Experience
You need to hire an experienced attorney for after a car accident. Charles Love and The Love Law Firm has expertly handled personal injury cases in West Virginia for over 18 years. We’d be happy to help you, too.
We can offer a contingency fee arrangement. Free consultations are available, so call today at (304) 344-5683.
