Home Personal Injury Cases Have You Been in an Automobile Accident?

Have You Been in an Automobile Accident?

Have You Been in an Automobile Accident?

Automobile accidents comprise a large amount of personal injury claims. There are many causes to automobile accidents, including dangerous weather/road conditions, driver inattention, and drivers who exceed the speed limit or engage in reckless driving. Automobile accidents will not only result in damage to drivers’ cars, but may also result in personal injury. Personal injury law allows for the innocent party to collect damages. There are several things that a driver should do when involved in an accident:
         Collect names and contact information. The driver should obtain the names of any other cars in the accident, the names of the registered owner of all vehicles, and the names of any witnesses who may have been present
         Collect insurance information. The driver should obtain the insurance information of all other drivers involved. This will include the name of the insurance company as well as the policy numbers.
         Note damages and injuries. The driver should record damages to the vehicle and injuries to his or her person. Having a camera to take pictures will be useful for obtaining this information.
         Responsibility. If one of the drivers initially claims responsibility for the accident, this should be noted.
         Police officer information. When the police respond to the accident, the driver should note the names of any officers that were present.
This will ensure that the driver has adequate information to file a personal injury claim. After the accident, the drivers should continue to keep detailed records in order to ensure that they will be compensated under personal injury law. Medical expenses should be carefully recorded, because this is the main type of compensation that personal injury law will allow for automobile accidents.
It will be beneficial for injured drivers to record hospital and doctors visits, x-rays and any other special treatment the driver will have to pay for such as prescriptions, the dates of these visits, and any physical therapy that may be necessary. Lost time at school or work is also an important factor. When suffering a personal injury, the party will generally be able to collect lost wages. Personal injury law will also allow for lost future wages to be obtained by the plaintiff.
This means that, even after the driver is healed, he or she may not be able to perform at the work place at the same level. If the driver has a permanent personal injury, compensation will be greater. A driver should also keep track of any out of pocket expenses, such as car repair, because this will also be compensated.
Personal injury law may also allow a person to collect additional damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress. This depends on the facts of each individual case, and the extent of the personal injury. The injured driver may choose to keep a log of thoughts and feelings that will detail the distress that he or she feels after the accident.
Also, if the injured party chooses to see a psychologist, this can be evidence of emotional distress in the personal injury claim. Hiring a personal injury law attorney will be beneficial for driver so that they are aware of what kind of compensation they should expect. Oftentimes, in personal injury claims, there will not be compensation for minor injuries. Consulting a personal injury law attorney will help people understand their claim.