How You Can Defend Yourself After An Accident

An accident can leave you in a condition where you are not able to act in your own best interests or pursue the compensation you need to recover properly. When everything that you do leading up to the final settlement or compensation you receive can have negative or positive consequences, you need to make sure you are doing what you need to do to protect yourself. The first step in doing this is reaching out to a compassionate and skilled personal injury law firm.

While the best thing you can do for yourself is to get an experienced Kentucky attorney, like the ones you can find here at Hicks & Funfsinn Kentucky Lawyers, we want to offer you some advice on what you can do before you meet with us. Our lawyers have decades of experience in representing clients after their auto accidents, and we want to share our wisdom with you.

Act Smart And Be Thorough

The key to completing any of these steps is remaining calm. While even minor car accidents can be very jarring, keeping a level head will immediately set you up for success after an accident.

While you should be able to rely on your attorney to help you through most of your claims process, there are some actions you can take now to improve the outcome if your case. Here are some steps you can do before you even meet with us:

Bring In The Professionals

If you are still at the scene of the accident, always contact the police and reach out to medical professionals if they are needed. The police report that the police will provide you with is an excellent document to arm yourself with. Medical professionals will ensure you are not only getting the life-saving treatment you need, but calling them also establishes the first step in your recovery from your injuries.

Document The Scene

You can never take too many videos or pictures of your accident. Even footage of the surrounding environments can be beneficial to your cause, and your cellphone is your greatest tool for collecting this footage. You can also gather video or audio recordings of any witness testimony at the scene of the crash when it is the most accurate. You can also record a video of yourself recounting the events of the accident, including the location information, weather conditions, road conditions, and any environmental obstacles that may have been attributed to the accident.

Communicate With Everyone

Your first goal is to gather all important information from the other driver, such as contact information, insurance information, and even personal information like name and address. Also, reach out to any witnesses and record their testimony of what they saw at the scene. The quality of witness testimony diminishes overtime so the faster you act to collect this, the better.

Make Things Official

Insurance companies cannot begin tending to their responsibilities in their injury claim until they are aware of the accident. If you are able to do so at the scene of the accident, contact your insurance and report your accident. Otherwise, make sure you report it to them after you have received the medical treatment you need, or as soon as possible after that. Above all, never speak to the other driver’s insurance company without an attorney with you, even if they reach out to you with some “standard questions” about your accident.

Itemize Everything

Details are everything in a personal injury case. The more detailed you are about your injuries, the more equipped you will be to answer critical questions about your case. By keeping a detailed list of all the expenses that have come from your accident, you can help your attorney maximize the compensation you receive.

It is much easier to keep track of information as you receive it than try to find it weeks or months later, so be sure to keep information like police reports, medical reports, expenses tied to your injuries, pay information from your job, any correspondence with your employer about going on leave to recover, and anything else that may relate to your case.

While these steps aren’t everything that needs to be done before you collect a fair compensation, you will be thankful you took these steps while you had the chance to.

What Do I Do Next?

Even before you have completed all the steps we have suggested, reach out to us to schedule an initial consultation so we can begin preparing your case. We do not back down from the fight and only settle when it is best for you.

Contact us by calling 859.286.7777 or emailing us here. We have offices in Lexington and Harrodsburg and serve clients throughout central Kentucky. We are eager to take up your case and protect your future, so contact us today.