A motor vehicle accident can turn your life upside down within a second. Without warning, you may find yourself fighting for your life and facing an uphill road to recovery. After sustaining severe injuries in a car crash, you might not provide for your family or loved ones, putting further emotional stress on your loved ones. A personal injury lawyer can support you through this time and ensure that you receive the maximum financial compensation you need to cover your present and future medical care costs, property damage, loss of income, emotional distress, and other financial losses.
When you are injured in a car collision, the steps you take immediately after the auto accident will significantly affect your ability to file personal injury claims. Mistakes after a car accident are expensive because insurance companies are often looking for excuses to deny your car accident claim or reduce your financial settlement offer. With an experienced car accident attorney by your side, you can avoid making costly pitfalls and can protect your right to receive fair compensation.
At DCAL, our auto accident attorneys understand the challenges car accident victims face after an auto accident and we will work tirelessly to protect you every step of the way. We have helped thousands of auto crash victims in Denver County, Colorado, and throughout Colorado recover the economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages they deserve. Call our Denver car accident lawyer today at 720-770-5454 for a no-cost initial consultation and review of your personal injury lawsuit. We work on a contingency fee basis, thus we'll charge only if we recover money for you.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Car Accident?
After a motor vehicle collision, there may be a lot of questions running through your mind. Who will pay for my medical expenses? Did the at-fault driver have enough insurance coverage? When will I go back to work? An experienced Denver personal injury law firm can answer those questions and help you move forward with your life. Yet, before you call a personal injury attorney, there are some steps you should take immediately after being involved in an auto crash. These steps will help your car accident attorney build a personal injury claim that helps you get maximum compensation. These steps include:
Get Relevant Information
Immediately after an automobile accident, if you are able, gather general information about the crash, such as:
- The negligent driver’s license number.
- Vehicle registration.
- The other driver’s insurance information.
- The other driver’s contact information and address.
- Time and date of the car crash.
This information will be crucial when filing an insurance claim with the insurance company. Without this information, it will be difficult to collect the financial compensation you deserve.
Document the Car Accident Scene
Documenting the details of the actual accident scene is crucial, too. If possible, take photographs of the damage to your vehicle, the other vehicles involved in the accident, and any public property that was damaged. Take photos of the traffic lights, the intersection, skid marks, and any other details that may be crucial when establishing negligence. As soon as you can, document any details from the crash that you remember, including:
- How the motor vehicle collision happened.
- Where the crash happened.
- Details from just before the car crash.
- What happened immediately after the auto crash?
- What did the other at-fault driver say?
Call the Police or 911
After an auto collision, call 911. Contacting 911 alerts the medical response team in your area about your car accident so that injured crash victims can receive the medical attention they need. Notify the police about the car accident so that you can get an official accident report. An accident report is a crucial piece of evidence when determining liability and comparative negligence. Without the accident report, often it's just your word against the responsible parties. Further, under Colorado's traffic laws, you must report traffic crashes that result in either bodily injury to a person or any type of property damage.
When the law enforcement officers arrive at the scene of the crash, be careful what you say. Answer their questions truthfully; however, avoid making any assumptions regarding what happened during the accident. You might not have all the details and it’s best to leave the police officers to investigate the accident on their own. Motor vehicle defects, hidden traffic signs, and poor road maintenance could have caused your accident. Simply tell the law enforcement officers what happened and, with as much detail as possible, without accepting or assigning liability.
Related: Colorado Car Accident Statistics
Seek Medical Treatment
Immediately after your auto crash, seek medical care–even if you feel you weren't injured. The adrenaline from the crash may mask severe injuries, so seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If you're injured, a diagnosis of your physical injury is crucial when trying to collect the financial compensation you deserve. If your doctor prescribes medications, file those prescriptions promptly.
Also, follow your doctor’s advice and attend all follow-up doctor's appointments and physical therapy sessions promptly. Ignoring your doctor’s advice may signal to the insurance adjusters that you aren’t as injured as you say.
Some of the most common injuries that occur following a motor vehicle accident include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal injuries
- Puncture wounds
- Whiplash
- Burns
- Disfigurement
When visiting a medical professional, disclose any pre-existing conditions or injuries. Your doctor can establish how the fatal car accident affected your existing injury. Without your doctor’s diagnosis and medical advice, the at-fault party and their insurance company may claim that your bodily injury was a pre-existing injury and not one that was aggravated or made worse by the accident.
Call Your Insurance Company
Unfortunately, many injured drivers don't contact their insurance companies because they believe they don’t have to. Even if you aren't liable for the crash, notify your insurance company about the accident as soon as you can. Although the at-fault party’s insurance company should pay for financial damages you suffered, still, you must contact your insurance provider and report any property damage or injuries you sustained.
If the other driver makes an accident injury claim against you, your insurance provider can defend you against these personal injury claims or negotiate a fair financial settlement if you're at fault. If the other driver is liable for an automobile crash, but doesn’t have enough insurance coverage or isn’t insured, then you may need to tap into your own uninsured motorist insurance coverage or underinsured motorist insurance coverage or under to pay for medical costs and damages.
When speaking with your insurer, or the “at-fault” party’s insurance company, be careful what you say. It's best not to discuss fault and don't give them a recorded statement until you speak with an experienced attorney. The insurance adjuster may pressure you into signing a low-ball settlement offer that's far below what you deserve. Sign nothing before speaking with an experienced car accident lawyer. Your attorney can protect your rights and interests during the legal process and prevent unscrupulous insurance company representatives from taking advantage of you during this tough time.
Call a Denver Car Accident Lawyer
As soon as you can, contact an experienced car accident lawyer in Denver, Colorado. Valuable evidence may get lost or destroyed if you don’t act swiftly. Your personal injury attorney will investigate all aspects of your automobile accident, collect essential evidence, and file the appropriate car accident injury claims against the responsible parties. Through careful preparation and planning, your car accident attorney can get maximum compensation for you after an auto collision. Your auto accident attorney can help you get financial compensation to pay for:
- Long-term medical care costs,
- Rehabilitation costs,
- Future medical treatment expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Loss of enjoyment in life,
- Loss of future earnings,
- Pain and suffering
Why Do I Need a Denver Auto Accident Attorney?
In a case of fatal injuries, a car accident case is incredibly complex to navigate. While it may be clear who was at fault for the auto crash, the insurance representatives are often focused on how to pay as little money as possible. Without an experienced car accident lawyer protecting your interests and rights, your ability to recover fair insurance settlement is at risk.
There are many details to manage in a car crash injury case, including gathering and preserving all crucial evidence to support your claim for damages and accessing professional resources, such as accident reconstruction experts, accident investigators, medical experts, and financial experts. The experienced Denver car accident lawyers at DCAL offer our clients the resources needed to craft a solid defense strategy that is successful in settlement negotiations or subsequently at trial.
Contact Our Denver Accident Law Firm Today for Legal Help!
Our Denver accident attorneys have helped accident victims in Denver recover millions of dollars in compensation and we can help you, too. If you or a loved one have suffered physical injuries and property damage in a motor vehicle collision, you have legal options. Call our experienced Denver personal injury lawyers today at 720-770-5454 for a free case review.