WHAT TO DO: INJURED IN COLORADO SPRINGS CAR ACCIDENT

AFTER A SERIOUS COLORADO CAR ACCIDENT, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

When someone smashes into your vehicle, it’s normal to feel upset, particularly if you’re gravely hurt. Take a few minutes to experience your anger, worry, irritation, or confusion: To get through the post-accident issues, you’ll need to keep your cool.

You may call an auto injury attorney to safeguard your legal interests whether you’re safe at home or in a hospital. Meanwhile, it’s up to you to record and preserve the evidence before it vanishes completely.

Even if you’re hurt, you may help at the scene with a few post-accident duties. If your injuries are severe enough that you must remain in place until help arrives, you’ll have enough to do in the weeks and months ahead. Getting medical attention should be your primary objective, especially when you are serious injuries.

EXPERIENCED CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY IN COLORADO SPRINGS

Our personal injury attorneys are highly versed in car accident claims and lawsuits. They only practice within personal injury law so are specialized in their field. They have worked on thousands of car accident lawsuits and have the experience to get you a far settlement.

We offer a free consultation so you can find out if Warrior Car Accident Lawyers is the right fit for you. After a serious car accident in Colorado Springs, you will likely have medical bills mounting up, dealing with serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, not sure how to make a car insurance claim or navigate the personal injury claim process.

Jeremy D. Earle, JD is an experienced personal injury lawyer in Colorado Springs. Don’t settle for the personal injury lawyers in the commercials. Car accidents are serious business and are not a joking matter.

Free Consultation 

In Person | Phone | Zoom

NEVER ADMIT FAULT WHEN TELLING YOUR STORY

You’ll exchange words with the other motorist, bystanders, well-wishers, police officers, and other persons gathered around the car accident site during the post-accident pandemonium. Before you say anything, keep this in mind: If you say things like “I’m sorry,” “I didn’t mean to,” or “I didn’t intend to,” your words will accompany you until your claim is resolved.

The remarks you make in the moments after a car accident are so critical that they have a legal name. They’re referred to as res gestae proof.

Police officers, judges, and insurance companies use post-accident comments to measure reality since they are spontaneous. That becomes an issue if you are so disturbed by an accident that you apologize or confess blame despite the event.

You can’t avoid giving a police investigator your version of events after a car accident, so stick to the facts: It was a green light. I was going 35 miles per hour.

The second vehicle failed to stop at a red light. You should avoid guessing who is to blame, no matter how much you know about accidents, liability, or state motor vehicle rules.

Legal concerns arising from car accidents are often complex. Most jurisdictions’ negligence rules recognize that many people might cause a car accident.

At fault is a matter of opinion, so say just the truth and let police investigators, lawyers, and insurance adjusters decide whether it was your fault or not.

WHILE YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE COPS TO SHOW UP

Within minutes after a collision, the scene of the car accident changes. The only way to record and preserve crucial evidence in some instances is to do it yourself. When you’re critically hurt, this isn’t always doable. While you’re waiting for the cops to come, if you’re feeling up to it, you should do a few crucial jobs.

If your mobile phone is still functional after your car accident, it’s the ideal tool for speeding up the documentation process. Remember to ask the appropriate questions so the cops can assist you.

If your injuries prohibit you from moving, enlist the assistance of a passenger.

If you’re alone in your vehicle, flag down a passing motorist and ask for assistance; if you can’t locate someone to aid you, grab your phone and shoot as many images as you can from wherever you are. The telephoto lens on a mobile phone camera lets you catch details by bringing distant objects closer.

CONFIRM THE IDENTITY OF THE OTHER DRIVER

You may never contemplate leaving a car accident site before the police come, but the other motorist may. Just in case the driver tries to flee, it’s critical to double-check his identification and insurance details.

A driver’s license, registration, driving record, or insurance may be in jeopardy. That is often sufficient motive to flee the scene.

Hit-and-run drivers may collide with your vehicle and then escape without stopping. Others come to a halt, inspect the damage, then return to their cars and drive away. You or your representative should complete the following things to prevent these scenarios:

• Take a photo of the other car’s license plate using your cellphone camera.
• Obtain personal information from the other motorist and record it on your phone recorder.
• Request a driver’s license and take a picture of it.
• Verify that the address is up to date.
• Take a snapshot of the other driver’s insurance card.
• Double-check the insurance card’s dates.

TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DRIVER

Photograph the Automobiles

The automobiles involved in a car accident can yield evidence that helps in determining who is to blame. If your collision occurs in an area where drivers must relocate their vehicles to prevent impeding traffic, you should capture the information before moving them.

Photograph the resting positions, sites of contact, and damage of both cars using your cellphone camera. Also, take pictures of any earlier damage. This is useful if your insurance provider has inquiries regarding previous incidents or the condition of your car.

TAKE PICTURES OF THE SCENE

The context of an accident scene aids insurance firms in determining responsibility concerns. Photograph the car accident site. Include the intersections and streets where the car accident happened. In the backdrop, photograph traffic lights, signs, road markings, and buildings.

Take as many images as you need to provide your insurance company with a rough idea of the region.

LOCATE EYEWITNESSES

The importance of witnesses in demonstrating guilt cannot be overstated. When it comes to car accidents, what an impartial witness has to say frequently has more weight than what the drivers or passengers say. Police officers and insurance companies frequently consider neutral witnesses’ testimony true since they have nothing to gain.

Witnesses, however, do not always wait for a police officer to arrive. They may not want their name to be mentioned in an official report if they wait. At a car accident site, however, a witness or someone representing you may speak with you.

If you ask the correct questions, you or your agent could identify a witness or two among the crowd that gathers after a car accident.

Check with passers-by to see whether they saw the collision.

• What did they observe if they did see it?
• Be sure to get their permission before contacting them.
• Request their names, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as a business card.

GET MEDICAL HELP RIGHT AWAY

If you’ve been critically hurt, it’s more crucial than anything else to seek the immediate medical help you need. The ambulance might come first if the 911 operator alerted the EMT when she notified the police department. It’s critical to dump everything and go when the rescue team comes.

Depending on your injuries, you may need medical treatment for weeks, months, or even years. Regardless of the status of your injury claim, you should follow your doctor’s instructions, complete any medications, and follow your doctor’s recommendations for physical therapy and other therapies aimed at achieving long-term recovery.

Insurance plans are confusing, but they tell you precisely what you need to do in the event of a car accident. Unfortunately, the majority of consumers do not have the time or inclination to study their insurance policy.

The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that you must submit a claim. Although the wording varies somewhat from one business to the next and from one state to the next, all Personal Auto Policies have a basic notice requirement.

• If you’re incapacitated and can’t make the call yourself, a friend or personal representative should do it for you.
• If you’re incapacitated and can’t make the call yourself, a friend or personal representative should do it for you.
• If you wait too long to disclose anything and end up jeopardizing your insurance company’s rights, they may reject your claim or refuse to cover you.
• Even if you think the other person’s insurance company will reimburse you, file your claim. It does not always turn out the way you expect.
• If your state requires you to submit a auto accident report form, your insurance company is responsible for filling out the portion proving your coverage.

Notifying your insurance carrier of possible claims provides them with the information they need to begin a claim investigation. They must evaluate if they owe the other driver damages on your behalf. Your quick report helps them examine your injury claim and estimate its worth if you have a prospective Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist claim.

CONTACT ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES

You can’t avoid interacting with insurance providers if you’re in a auto accident. If you wish to claim against the other motorist, you’ll need to provide your version of events, medical bills, and treatment updates regularly.

Your insurance provider will need enough information to create claim reserves if you file a claim for liability or first-party coverage. Insurance firms are required by law to put aside funds to pay for outstanding claims, known as reserves.

While you are not required to speak with the other person’s insurance company, you must speak with your own. Every Personal Auto Policy includes wording requiring insureds to cooperate and supply any paperwork requested by the insurance provider.

Insurance firms normally respect your rights and interact directly with your legal representation when you have one working for you.

DON’T STOP GETTING MEDICAL HELP

If you’ve been harmed, treatment consistency is frequently a good indicator of how serious your ailment is. Even if you are hesitant to file a responsibility claim for your injuries, you must keep a detailed record of your rehabilitation.

When you have a pending injury claim, the liability investigator will use your medical history to assess it. They investigate pain, suffering, medical treatment, physical therapy, incapacity to work, and others.

Insurance companies pay attention to your feelings about pain and the severity of your injury, but it doesn’t matter if your medical background tells a different tale.

The liability insurance claim department will interpret your failure to follow up with your doctor for her prescribed treatment as a sign that your injuries were not serious.

If you avoid physical therapy and other forms of recovery help, they will see your healing as quick and painless.

If your doctor recommends pain medicine and you don’t take it, the insurance company will use it as proof that you weren’t in too much agony.

If you refuse to follow your doctor’s recommendation and take some time off work, the insurance company will classify your impairment as small, resulting in little lost pay.

Your doctor will explain your patchy treatment history when the insurance company seeks a medical report and treatment documents. Her records will show that you didn’t need any more therapy and never requested a medicine refill.

ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE AVOIDED

When insurance companies cannot obtain your medical data, they will do everything possible to assess your claim. Your medical information is crucial since it aids them in establishing and maintaining an accurate reserve throughout your claim.

If the insurance company cannot get the information from you, they will go to any length to obtain it from another source.

CHECK OUT THE AREA

The neighborhood activities check it is a long-standing insurance company practice for determining your health and recovery status. A claim agent will come to your neighborhood or street to speak with your neighbors. Even a pleasant neighbor will reveal their thoughts if given the correct questions. They’ll make assumptions about your suffering and limitations. They often respond to the claim representative’s queries.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

Another prominent method of evaluating an injured individual is via video footage. An independent professional or insurance investigator waits in front of your house and documents all he observes. If they catch a film of your gardening, exercising, walking the dog, or bringing groceries in, they consider it a fortunate break.

INVESTIGATION INTO SOCIAL MEDIA

The newest way to learn more about an injured claimant is to use social media. An investigator searches social media sites for you. They may view what’s on your timeline and find out what you’ve been up to if your security settings are low. They will frequently send a friend request if your settings are too high for them to view what they need to see.

You can’t completely evade activity checks. Consider these suggestions to restrict who has access to your information.

Don’t let anybody know about your injuries or treatment.

Request that your family does not speak to anybody outside of your house about your injuries, healing, or any outstanding compensation.

Avoid using social media platforms.

If you must regularly check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, configure your page security to prevent others from seeing your timeline.

Never accept a friend request from someone you don’t know.

Enable secret mode on your Twitter account.

If you want to share your activities with the rest of the world on social media, don’t upload dance videos, gym trips, challenge stunts, or anything else that makes it seem as if you’re not hurt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

When you’ve been gravely wounded, taking the right actions as quickly as possible is critical to your recovery. Even if you have no intention of using the other motorist, you should speak with a car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

To schedule a free consultation with Warrior Car Accident Lawyers about your accident claim, call us at 719-300-1100, send us an email, or stop by our Colorado Springs office.