Getting a car accident settlement might sound quite complicated to achieve, but the truth is far from this. It starts with calling the police, then hiring experienced lawyers who specialize in car accidents to fight your case and gathering all the evidence in the process. Make sure to follow these six helpful tips to get there in no time.
Call the Police Right After
The first thing you should do right after the car accident is to call the police. There are many reasons why this is important. Firstly, some states require you to call the police after you’ve been in a car accident. Secondly, by calling the police, you are ensuring you have a critical piece of evidence to state your case. This evidence is in the form of accident report files and its main purpose is that it provides insight into the details of the accident including evidence it occurred in the first place, how it happened and who caused it. As you’ll see later on, you can also add sufficient evidence yourself by taking pictures of the accident.
Document the Crash
Although it’s the job of the police to document the crash and to make a thorough report, you should also try and do so yourself. If you’re not severely injured, there’s no reason not to do this. Many personal injury lawyers suggest that you try and secure the evidence of the accident. This can help you have the most compelling case if you decide to sue the other party. Make sure to take pictures of the accident and from many different angles, multiple times. The more evidence you have, the better your chances of winning the case. Just make sure you are not in any immediate threat as a result of your potential injuries.
Be Careful What You Say
Any kind of accident, especially a car accident can cause shock which will make you feel very unlike yourself. People tend to be overcome with emotions, be it fear or anger, or a combination of both. This is all the more reason why you shouldn’t say anything after the crash because it might impede your chances of successfully getting a settlement. You should avoid saying things such as:
- It’s my fault
- I didn’t see you coming
- I’m sorry
- He came out of nowhere
The main reason why is that it can seriously let the settlement slip out of your hands is that it implies you admit the car accident was your fault. However hard it may be, focus either on exchanging information or saying nothing.
Get Legal Help
What probably constitutes the most important tip on how to improve your odds of getting a successful car accident settlement is to get legal advice as soon as possible. Any kind of accident that has the potential to become a personal injury lawsuit shouldn’t be pursued without a lawyer present, as is the case in Michigan and most areas in the United States. As a car accident lawyer in Detroit notes, the injuries sustained can pose a great threat to your finances and future wellbeing. To make up for the hospital bills, as well as time and recovery during which you won’t be able to provide fully for your family, you should aim towards compensation. And there is no better way to achieve this with a lawyer who specializes in these specific cases.
Hospital Records
Another very helpful tip that will improve your odds of getting a car accident settlement is, as we’ve mentioned before, to gather evidence. It’s important to note that your hospital records will have detailed reports on the type of injuries you have sustained, all the treatments and surgeries you might have endured to get better, and all of the medications and physical therapy that you might have been told you need to recover. Furthermore, hospital records will directly link your injuries and the accident, especially from the report of the first responders. This can be concrete evidence to get a car accident settlement with ease, which is especially true if you have an eager and experienced lawyer in these kinds of settlements.
People tend to get tangled up in getting the biggest amount of car accident settlement they possibly can and forget that their recovery is imperative. If you hire experienced lawyers who specialize in car accidents, you have nothing to worry about and should just sit tight while you get better. This is what lawyers are for, and they will do their job effectively, and they will also collect all the evidence such as police reports, hospital records, medical bills, and personal evidence if there is any. Focus on your recovery so you can feel like your old self in no time.