I Got Hit by a Car. What Should I Do?

Whether you were walking down the street, riding a bicycle, or operating a motor vehicle, the same common causes of accidents apply to every scenario. By determining the cause of a vehicle collision, the car accident lawyer that you hire from Morgan and Morgan can decide whether there is enough evidence and witness support to prove the four elements of negligence.

Negligence typically is involved in three out of the following four most common causes of auto crashes.

Distracted Driving

Before the digital technology revolution, distracted driving consisted of acts such as eating, applying makeup, and fiddling with the knob controlling the audio system. Although the old-school types of distracted driving remain a serious issue, cell phones and other types of electronic devices have become the most common reasons why operators of motor vehicles drive while distracted. From sending a text message on a Smartphone to accessing a social media account from a tablet, digital technology is the root cause of a vast majority of distracted driving cases.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving refers to the dangerous acts committed by the operator of a motor vehicle. Speeding represents the most common type of reckless driving. The faster a motor vehicle travels, the stronger the impact at the time of a vehicle collision. Another common form of reckless driving involves running a stop sign or traffic signal. This type of reckless driving is the leading cause of T-Bone accidents, in which one driver rams into the side of another motor vehicle.

Driving Under the Influence

Driving under the influence exacerbates the danger of recklessly driving and driving while distracted. By itself, this type of negligence often produces incredibly devastating crashes that sometimes result in at least one fatality. Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol impairs the judgment of a driver. For example, driving under the influence might convince a driver to take chances the driver would not otherwise take. Drugs and alcohol also significantly slow down reaction times, such as putting on the brakes to avoid a collision.

Most states have set a maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) for the operators of motor vehicles at 0.08 percent.

Inclement Weather

Mother Nature has several ways to wreak havoc on our nation’s roads and highways. From gale-force winds blowing through the canyons that overlook Los Angeles to lake-effect snowstorms that bury cities such as Buffalo, New York, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, poor weather conditions cause a large percentage of motor vehicle collisions. The difference between poor weather conditions and the first three most common causes on our list is you cannot sue Mother Nature for monetary damages. Your only option to receive financial assistance after a car accident caused by bad weather is to file an insurance claim.

Before you meet with one of the car accident lawyers from Morgan and Morgan, you already should have completed a few steps that help you build a strong enough case to file a convincing insurance claim and possibly a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.

Call 911

Calling 911 activates the emergency law enforcement and medical assistance systems. The law enforcement agency that responds to a car accident accomplishes two goals. First, law enforcement personnel secure the accident scene by directing traffic, as well as strategically placing barriers and flashing warning lights. Second, a team of law enforcement officers conducts a thorough investigation to gather physical evidence and speak with witnesses. The car accident lawyer from Morgan and Morgan representing you refers to the official police report to determine the best course of legal action.

Tell Your Side of the Story

During the police investigation, you can expect to explain to one of the law enforcement officers what happened before, during, and after the auto crash. If you get transported to the nearest hospital for emergency care, you can expect to speak with a police investigator when you feel healthy enough to recollect the circumstances surrounding the vehicle collision. Regardless of when you speak with a law enforcement officer, you should not speculate about what caused the accident nor should you exaggerate the extent of your injuries. If you do not know the answer to one or more questions, emphasize your lack of knowledge during the interview with a police investigator.

Receive Treatment for Your Injuries

At some point, you must get checked out to diagnose and treat any injuries. Even if you feel healthy enough to remain at the scene of the crash, you should eventually schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to ensure you did not sustain injuries that developed delayed symptoms, For example, the symptoms of whiplash and/or a concussion sometimes do not become apparent until a few days have passed after a car accident. Without medical bills and records, you do not have a strong enough case to file a persuasive insurance claim, much less a personal injury lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.

Take Photographs

If you feel healthy enough to remain at the scene of the collision or you return to the accident scene after receiving medical care, you can help your car accident lawyer by shooting photos of the area surrounding the crash. Pay special attention to tire marks and the damage done to stationary objects such as traffic signals and parked motor vehicles. Your car accident lawyer examines the photographs to determine whether any of them reveal the cause of the vehicle collision.

Exchange Information With the Other Parties

You should not interview witnesses right after an auto crash. Allow your car accident lawyer to conduct witness interviews at the firm’s office. Instead, your focus should be on exchanging contact information with every party connected to the car accident. This includes exchanging auto insurance information with the other motorists involved in the crash. Do not contact your insurance company to discuss the car accident until you have met with one of the highly-rated personal injury attorneys at Morgan and Morgan.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

To prove the four elements of negligence that qualifies you to file a civil lawsuit seeking just compensation, you should schedule a free case evaluation with a state-licensed personal injury attorney. An experienced lawyer provides several types of legal support, including helping you file a convincing insurance claim and collecting the physical evidence required to determine whether negligence played a role in causing you harm. Your car accident lawyer calculates a reasonable value for compensation, as well as decides whether to negotiate a favorable settlement with the other party.

Another important responsibility carried out by a car accident lawyer concerns ensuring you file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Each state has established a deadline for taking legal action. A majority of states have set the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit between two and four years, although you might live in a state that allows as long as six years or as short as one year to take legal action. The start of the deadline period for filing a personal injury lawsuit usually is on the day of the incident. However, your attorney might request an extension to account for the development of delayed symptoms.

Whether you have one year or six years to file a personal injury lawsuit, you should act with a sense of urgency for two important reasons. First, your car accident lawyer needs to speak with witnesses as close to the day of the auto crash as possible. Witness versions of events are much more accurate the closer they are given to the date of a car accident. Second, you have to pay out-of-pocket to take care of medical expenses until you receive compensation from an insurance company and/or a favorable judgment handed down by a civil court judge. Filing a personal injury lawsuit quickly after a vehicle collision helps you recover financial losses much sooner than if you wait until close to the day when the statute of limitations expires on your case.

If you fail to meet the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit as established by the state where you live, the court clerk processing your case has the legal power to remove it from the judicial docket.

Take action today by scheduling a free case evaluation with a car accident lawyer from Morgan and Morgan.