After a car crash, the steps taken on the scene and in the days and weeks that follow will have a direct impact on your ability to collect fair compensation. This makes what you do following a car accident incredibly important. Chattanooga personal injury attorney Herbert Thornbury is pleased to offer the following tips to help protect your physical and financial health following an auto accident.
On the Scene
If your injuries are not so severe as to prohibit action, it is a good idea to begin collecting data. This will include:
- Contact info – get the name, address, license number, and insurance info of all involved drivers
- Vehicle info – get the make, model, VIN, and license plate number of all involved vehicles
- Witness info – get the name and contact info for all witnesses
When possible, take pictures of the scene from multiple angles. These will come in helpful when you file your report.
While on the scene, make sure to contact the police and cooperate with all emergency personnel. Be sure to contact your insurance company as well. They may want to send an adjuster to the scene.
When talking to police, EMTs, involved drivers, witnesses, and insurance adjusters, never suggest you are at fault. Provide needed info. Collect needed info. DO NOT ADMIT FAULT.
As soon as you are cleared to leave the scene of a car wreck, you should call your physician. Spinal cord injury, brain injury, and some internal damage can be asymptomatic at first. If these issues are not caught, however, they can result in serious, permanent, and even fatal injury.
In the Days and Weeks Following
After seeing your doctor and getting a full view of your injuries, it is time to contact an experienced car accident attorney. You may receive an insurance offer before you talk to an attorney. Do not accept this offer. It is almost certainly less than you will receive if you take legal action. You can bring insurance offers to your free initial consultation, but allow your car accident lawyer to deal with the company from that point forward.
Remember, everyone involved in an accident and the insurance companies that represent these drivers may all have legal teams working to minimize your compensation. You need an attorney in your corner who can take your case as far as necessary to help you get the full compensation you are due.
Herbert Thornbury has been representing victims of serious injury for nearly 50 years. Experienced, dedicated, and effective, Mr. Thornbury is ready to take your case and fight for your rights to help ensure you are awarded every penny you are due.
If you live in Chattanooga or nearby areas of Tennessee, Georgia, or Alabama and are in need of a car accident attorney, please call Herbert Thornbury, Attorney at Law at 423-443-3973 to schedule your free consultation today.
