Everyone is at risk of being in an automobile accident. Due to the level of personal trauma often experienced by victims of auto accidents, it can be quite challenging to respond to such an incident as calmly and efficiently as possible. Keep these suggestions in mind when consulting Personal Injury Lawyers in Peoria, IL.
Make a head-to-toe assessment before moving. If you suspect a serious injury, stay put. Check on your passengers as well. This will help you determine what type of assistance is needed. Personal Injury Lawyers in Peoria, IL know that whiplash injuries to the neck and back, and other symptoms, may not appear for 24 to 48 hours. If you start feeling any symptoms, go to the emergency room, even if it is a day or two after the incident.
ALWAYS call the police – even if the accident doesn’t seem serious. Ask for an emergency medical team to assess anyone who has possibly been hurt.
Immediately Notify Your Insurance Agent.
Personal Injury Attorneys recommend reporting the incident to your insurance company as soon as possible. You have a contractual duty to report the injury to your own insurance company, even if the accident was totally the fault of the other driver.
There is no such thing as too much documentation. Take photos of the vehicles, particularly to damaged areas, and of everything in the general vicinity. Collect names and telephone numbers of eyewitnesses. If you are injured in any way, seek immediate medical attention to ensure you protect yourself and request copies of relevant documentation. Copies of insurance and police reports will be helpful, too.
Keep a separate diary of your injuries and symptoms over the next several months, or until you have completed medical treatment. Keep a log of your symptoms and severity of pain.
Be Polite, But Never Admit Fault.
It is acceptable to check with individuals who were in the other vehicle(s) involved in the accident, to ensure their safety and well-being. Be civil, but any Personal Injury Lawyer in Peoria, IL will advise that apologizing or admitting fault could be detrimental to a potential personal injury case.
After you first receive medical care, call a Lawyer to guide you through your post accident issues.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Peoria, IL are available to inform you of your legal rights and guide you through legal matters that result from the car accident.
Serving clients in the Peoria, East Peoria, Dunlap, Washington, Morton, Eureka and Pekin, IL communities, Doc Halliday has years of experience representing victims of personal injury.
The other driver’s insurance company and its representatives are not your friends. If the other driver’s insurance company calls you, do not give them any statement and contact the office of Doc Halliday in Peoria, IL.
No matter how kind and understanding the insurance adjuster for the other driver may seem, his job is to help the other driver’s insurance company reduce or reject your claim. Additionally, he may try to intimidate you into dropping your case or giving evidence which will hurt your case.