Signs You Should Seek Legal Help after a Car Accident

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

The moment you find yourself in a car accident, the initial shock that takes over makes it difficult to focus on the necessary, immediate steps you need to take to protect yourself. Not only is it crucial to act quickly in order to protect your safety and the safety of your vehicle’s passengers, it is also important for the protection of your rights. Once the collision is over and the aftermath begins, the clock is ticking. Everything you do - or do not do - in the minutes following the crash may work for or against you later on, in a court of law.

Knowing When to Seek Help

It is not unusual for car crash victims to want to rush the process and hurry home immediately after the collision. This can be dangerous for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that you may have incurred injuries during the collision that do not reveal themselves until hours or even days later. There are other reasons to consider staying put and seeking help before you leave the scene, however. Here are four signs that indicate it is a good idea to seek legal help following a car accident:

You are unsure if you are injured, or if one of your passengers is injured.

Should you or one of your passengers be injured in the crash, you may lose out on compensation and other rights you would otherwise be entitled to with the help of an attorney. You won’t know what you may be entitled to unless you speak to a qualified lawyer first, and you won’t know the extent of your injuries until you seek medical advice and assistance. A medic will usually do a quick exam at the scene of the crash, and you may need to be transported to the hospital for x-rays and further examination. It is not uncommon for internal injuries and other ailments to remain undetectable without further examination.

The person responsible for the accident refuses to cooperate with you.

Immediately after a crash, each driver involved should exchange insurance, contact, and identification information with one another for insurance and police report purposes. If the driver who hit you refuses to speak to you or is avoiding the exchange of basic information, it is a good idea to contact a knowledgeable attorney right away.

The person who hit you drives off.

If you see the driver who hit you drive away without getting out of the vehicle to talk to you and exchange information, it is important to notify the authorities right away. If you can, observe any and all details about the hit-and-run vehicle, such as the make, model, and color of the car, as well as the license plate number, if you have enough time to react. Use this information when you report the incident to the police, and relay the details to an attorney as soon as possible.

You do not feel comfortable answering questions.

One surefire sign that you should contact an attorney after an accident is if you are being questioned by another driver, witness, or a police officer and feel uncomfortable answering their questions. If you feel you are being unjustly accused of something or you are simply unsure of how to respond in a way that best protects your rights, seek legal advice before you answer.

If someone’s negligence has caused you to incur automobile damage and potentially irreversible bodily injury, it is important to speak with a  Lake County car accident attorney as soon as possible after the collision to ensure your best interests are protected. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call Salvi & Maher, LLP for a special consultation at 847-662-3303 right away.

Source:

https://insurance.illinois.gov/autoinsurance/auto_own_claim.pdf