If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of being involved an accident, the first thing to do is to take care of your health. Make sure that you don’t do anything to cause further injury, both by getting to safety and avoiding any movement or activities that could aggravate your injuries.
Then, while a personal injury case may be the absolute last thing on your mind, here are a few things that you can do to protect your rights.
3 Things to Do After an Accident:
1. Take Pictures
Regardless of whether you have a slip and fall or a car accident, you should take pictures of the accident scene. You will want to document, among other things, the conditions, the scope of the damage, and the location of the damage. This will be critically important for you later in the case when memories and details may start to fade.
2. Identify Witnesses
Your version of how the accident is important but nearly as much as having witnesses who can support your testimony. Talk to other people who are around the scene of the accident, figure out if they saw it happen, and get their phone numbers.
If you do have to end up filing a personal injury case, this information will be invaluable to your attorney.
3. Don’t Delay in Getting Medical Treatment
A lot of people have a tendency to power through pain and avoid getting medical treatment, either because of cost or because they don’t feel like taking the time. Putting aside the fact that getting medical treatment is almost always the right move for health reasons, if you don’t get timely medical treatment, you may have difficulty proving the extent of the injuries that you suffered in the accident.
Insurance companies will take every opportunity they can to undercut the value of your case. One of the ways they do this is by arguing that your injuries are not related to the accident or that they did not require any significant medical treatment.
Contact a New Orleans Accident Lawyer
Accidents happen all of the time. If you’ve been the victim of an accident (whether a car accident, truck accident, offshore accident, or any other kind), call The Mahone Firm today at (504) 564-7342. There is no charge to discuss your case with an injury lawyer.
