You are driving along your normal route to work one morning focusing on a meeting you have in the office just before lunch. You are mentally going through the checklist of things you need to prepare for the meeting, and making sure you have not forgotten anything important. The light turns green and you are first in line and move at a legal speed through the intersection. Suddenly out of nowhere a car speeds through the intersections and slams into you pushing you and your car through the intersection and to the curb. You almost pass out from the impact, and can definitely feel pain throughout your body. You are not sure how bad your car is damaged or how hurt you are but you can tell by the people gathering around your car and calling 911, that this is not a fender bender. You are seriously hurt and the paramedics with the help of the fire department gets you out of your car and into an ambulance which speeds you off to the nearest hospital. You can hear all of this happening but are still in a daze from the impact of the accident. It will take several days until you really appreciate what has happened.
Unfortunately scenarios like this play-out across the US every day. America has a car culture and motor vehicles sit at the center of our transportation worlds. Where there are cars, there will be car accidents and where there are car accidents, some will result in someone getting mildly or seriously hurt. The truth is that we all can be the person in this story and many believe that it is just a matter of time before each of us is that person.
Steps to be Taken Immediately After an Accident
When a car accident happens, the first thing to be done is to receive medical attention for any injuries you received during the accident. Time is an important factor, so paramedics need to be sent to the scene quickly and if you are hurt or could possibly be hurt, you need to be sent to a hospital to be examined by doctors.
The police also need to be called, so they can block off the accident area, make an official report of what has occurred, take pictures of the crime scene, and interview any eye witnesses who saw the accident. The accident report, pictures and eyewitness accounts are important because they document the facts of the situation and give an unbiased overview of what has occurred.
When you get to the hospital, depending upon your injuries, you will either be treated immediately or tended to by nurses who run tests and put you in line to see a doctor. Whichever the case, you need to rest and heal, before you turn your thoughts to the accident.
Making Sure You Get Compensated for Bills, Pain and Loss
When you do turn your attention to the accident, you need to make some notes about what happened and write down everything you remember doing and thinking immediately before it happened. You now have physical injuries, a damaged mental state, you cannot work and you are in pain. You need to call a reputable car accident attorney like Christensen & Hymas, who can listen to the circumstances of your accident and advise you of your rights. This call to an attorney at this early stage is critical. Waiting can mean that you miss some valuable and needed steps or information that can make the difference in winning a case against the person who hit you or receiving the maximum financial settlement possible.
Talk to a good attorney about your options and what is the best course of action and it will make a big difference.