Injured in a Car Wreck in Atlanta, Georgia?
Being in a car accident in Atlanta, GA is not only stressful but also quite chaotic. You may be wondering what you should do and exactly how to deal with the accident. This is even more challenging if you’ve been badly injured and if there is significant damage to your vehicle or issues with the other driver or other involved parties.
The actions that you take right after an accident are extremely important. In the event that you are not at fault or not completely at fault, then it is possible for you to file an insurance claim. However, in order to do this, you will need to compile information for the claim. In addition to the steps you should take that are detailed in this post, you should contact an Atlanta auto accident attorney as soon as possible.
In this post, we will look at what you should do on the day of the accident as well as the day after.
When you know what to do after an accident in Atlanta, it will actually make the entire process of filing your insurance claim a lot simpler. So, once you are well prepared, you will be in a better position to handle the accident and get all of the evidence so that you can submit your claim.
We will now look at several things you should immediately do after the accident.
It is important to stay put at the scene of the accident even if it is a minor accident. You should never just drive away or fail to report it. If you do leave the scene, this is actually an offense and there are penalties that you can suffer such as getting your license suspended or even having to go to jail. If you live in the state of Georgia, according to the Georgia code section 40-6-270, you absolutely need to stop once an accident has occurred and there is any damage to the vehicle, personal injury or death.
Additionally, you should also place yourself in a safe location that will ensure that no more accidents occur. This basically means that you should put on the hazard lights on your vehicle, drive to the side of the road and utilize a flashlight at night when getting out of your vehicle. In the event that your car cannot move, then you should leave the car and go to a safer place that is not on the roadway.
Immediately after the accident, you should exchange information with the other driver, passengers and other involved parties. This means you should get their full names, telephone numbers, record the make, color and license plate number of the vehicle, drivers license info, insurance info etc.
The police officers that respond to the accident will get this information but you should also get it yourself just in the event that they lose it.
After the accident, if there is any person that is unconscious or hurt, you should get them to a hospital as soon as you can.
You should report the accident as soon as you can. This is actually the legal requirement in a majority of states. It is mandatory in the state of Georgia, especially if anyone has been injured or if there is property damage that is worth over $500.
You should call 911 in order to report the crash, even if it is a small accident. This will allow the police to write up an accident report which is absolutely essential for your insurance claim. Be sure to tell the police officer in detail everything that you remember and the exact sequence of events that lead to the accident.
You should never fabricate any details or try to make guesses as to what occurred. If you don’t know how to answer any questions or if you don’t know if you’re injured, then you should just let them know that you’re not sure as opposed to giving a definite answer.
Thanks to modern technology, most people always have their smartphone with them that are fitted with cameras. So, once you have a camera you should take as many photos as possible. Some of the things you should take pictures of include:
– Injuries you have as well as injuries of other persons involved
– The damage to your vehicle
– The scene of the accident
By having photos of the accident, it will provide a great deal of evidence to show the damages incurred due to the auto accident. This will help a great deal with any injury claims you may file. In the event that you can’t take photos immediately, be sure to take them as soon as possible.
If there are witnesses to the accident, you should talk to them and get their contact details. By having witnesses who are willing to testify, they will help your case a great deal.
While you may want to be polite and talk to the other driver, you should limit your communication. Most people tend to be quite emotional right after an accident so you should do your best to calm down. You should be careful of what you tell the other driver and be careful to never admit that you were at fault for the accident or even apologize.
This is important because whatever you say can be used against you by the other party or their insurance company.
Even though you would have recorded evidence at the scene, you should not stop gathering evidence. After a couple of days have passed, you should make sure to take pictures of and record any other injuries or bodily damages you may have. If you have a major injury due to the accident, then it is highly advised that you hire a car accident attorney who can assist you.
Next, you should go to a doctor as soon as possible. This is because some of your injuries might not be visible or known right after the accident. It can take a few days or even longer before injuries reveal themselves. As a result, it is essential that you go to a doctor as soon as possible after the accident and even if you’ve already seen one, you should see them again if you experience more pain or other issues.
By seeing the doctor, they will have a professional look at your injuries and treat them as quickly as possible before they become worse. This will ensure that your medical condition doesn’t worsen and that the cost of your treatment is kept to a minimum. Additionally, going to a doctor as soon after your accident will help the insurance company to determine that the injuries that you have are a result of the accident. You should also record all of your doctor visits, treatments, medical expenses etc.
It is best to have a designated folder where you can store all the documents related to your accident. This folder should have your bills, notes from your doctor etc. It should also have:
1. The full name of your claim’s insurance adjuster
2. All the contact information and names of relevant parties
3. All of the receipts you have from expenses due to the accident
4. Your personal insurance claim number
It is essential that you get legal advice from an Atlanta lawyer to help you through the process after your accident. This is important because insurance claims can be quite complicated and difficult to deal with. Additionally, you will have to deal with the other party’s insurance company and you will need proper legal guidance for the best result.
So, when you hire an experienced attorney, they will walk you through every step and have your best interest at heart.
In most cases, you will have to let your own insurance company know about the accident. They can be quite helpful if the other party doesn’t have any insurance or if they left the scene without giving you their name and contact information.
Lastly, you will have to file your insurance claim so that you can be compensated for the damages you incurred due to the accident, if the other party was at fault. However, do note that you only have up to 2 years to do so.
Be sure to keep the above guidelines in mind and be sure to contact a car accident lawyer that will help you through this challenging process.
Contact the Atlanta car crash law firm of Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. if you’ve been injured at 1-888-579-1790.
1355 Peachtree St NE #1000, Atlanta, GA 30309
