If you’ve been in a car crash, a lot of your life immediately becomes much more complicated. After a major car crash, you have much to do and much to consider to make sure you’re back on your feet. Let’s take a look at the steps you should take after a major car crash.
Hire A Lawyer
First of all, you should hire a lawyer. If another car was involved in your crash and if it seems that the other party might try to sue you because you’re at fault, don’t wait–hire a lawyer right away.
Or if the crash was entirely caused by the other driver, you’ll probably want to hire a lawyer and file a claim against their insurer for reimbursement of your medical bills, lost wages, damaged property and the like. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the more quickly and effectively they can help you to navigate the waters of the insurance process. For this reason, it’s often to your benefit to hire a lawyer as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that lawyers have specialities so you should hire a personal injury lawyer if you’re suing the other driver. Here’s what to look out for in a lawyer whether it’s a personal injury attorney in Gainesville, GA or in Brooklyn NY:
- Experience – a lawyer who knows more about the law and how it applies to car accidents will have a huge advantage over one who isn’t as familiar with the ins and outs of personal injury law. A large body of experience in many cases over time has been shown to improve chances of winning. The more cases a lawyer has won, the more likely you are to win your claim as well.
- Personal Attention – If your case matters and your lawyer isn’t willing to spend time on it, they’re not the right one for you. Make sure they’ll take extra steps to keep up with deadlines.
- Good Communications Skills – You should be able to talk openly and freely about your case with your lawyer. If you don’t feel comfortable doing so, it could indicate a problem.
- Accessibility – Your lawyer should answer their phone every time you call (and quickly) or at least return voice mails within 24 hours (or sooner). They should also return emails in a timely manner.
- Reasonable Fees – This isn’t the place to cut corners or spare pennies, but you shouldn’t be paying hourly fees that are astronomical either. In most cases, your lawyer should be able to provide you with an estimate of anticipated costs and fees upfront so you won’t be surprised later on by bills that are particularly high.
Seek Medical Treatment
If you’re injured in a car crash, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. In almost all cases, immediate medical attention is necessary. Apart from taking care of your health, if you don’t go to the hospital right away after your accident and for whatever reason you end up with more serious injuries down the road, those issues could complicate your claim or could even be used against you in court.
If you don’t have medical insurance, look into Medicaid or other government assistance that might be available. If you do have insurance and your injuries aren’t serious enough to require a hospital stay, go ahead and get treated by an out-patient clinic.
See A Therapist
If you’ve been in an accident, chances are that you’re dealing with some stress. If you feel like your nerves might be frayed, go ahead and seek out a therapist. Talking to someone about what happened can be good for the mind. Because a therapist can work with you to help you to deal with the emotional effects of a car crash. They can offer suggestions for coping strategies so that you’ll know what to do if you have another one of those episodes where your stress levels are more than you can handle.
When choosing a therapist here’s what to look out for:
- Professionalism – You can tell what kind of experience a therapist has by looking at their credentials. Make sure they are licensed to practice in your state and they have at least some clinical education under their belt. Also check if they’ve ever been sued for malpractice, revoked or suspended from practicing.
- Affordable Fee Structure – You don’t want to get into a therapy session that ends up costing you an arm and a leg. Make sure the therapist has reasonable rates.
- Good Rapport – Good rapport between therapist and client is crucial for results so make sure your therapist is easy to talk to, compassionate, understanding, patient and attentive.
Getting back on your feet after a major car crash is not easy. There are many different ways you can be affected, from the obvious to the unexpected, and each case is different. Therefore, it would be helpful to have a personal injury lawyer in your corner who’s experienced in car accident cases to navigate all that for you. Also, seeking medical attention and therapy is essential.
