What to do in a Personal Injury Accident

According to the American Bar Association, the majority of personal injury lawsuits result from automobile accidents. Yet, there are also a large number of personal injury accidents that do not involve a vehicle.  These incidents include, but are not limited to: medical and dental accidents, dog bites, road traffic accidents, accidents at work, slip and falls, and other such injuries.

Do you know what steps to take in the event you or loved one are in a personal injury incident? If the answer is no, Garcia Law Group is here to help you understand what proceeding actions you should take.

Just after you have been involved in a personal injury accident, it is exceedingly common to be confused, stressed, and perhaps a bit disoriented.  However, in order to help your case should you decide to take the incident into litigation, you’ll need to remember to record the details of the event.  Naturally, you’ll want to jot down as much detail as possible and include: date, time, location, weather conditions (for a slip for instance), and any other aspects of the event that could be beneficial to proving you were injured as a direct result of another’s negligence.

As an experienced personal injury firm, The Garcia Law Group is here to assist any victims of personal injury in seeking justice for their pain and suffering. We advise you to take the following steps after a personal injury incident:

Seek out Medical Attention

It is crucial that you see a doctor as soon as possible. The longer you wait after the accident, the more difficult it will be to prove that any injuries were sustained as a result.  It’s also exceedingly important to keep in mind that if you do not get the medical help you need, you may be putting your health and well being at risk.

Document How You Were Injured

After a personal injury accident, it can be difficult to assess the situation and all the facts and details. We cannot stress enough the importance of documenting as many details of the accident and your injuries as possible. You can do so by taking pictures and writing down notes with important details. Too often many people do not get accurate information regarding the incident and the parties that were at fault.  Understandably, the victims are in shock and tend to forget to record names, contact information of witnesses, and most importantly for non-automobile incidents, they forget to photograph whatever caused the injury.

Depending on the type of injury you have suffered, it can be complicated or nearly impossible to gather all this various information. If you are not able to record the details yourself, try and get help from someone who has witnessed the accident, and who is willing to assist in jotting down a few details and contact information at the very least.  We recommend that at this point you call an attorney, or have a family member do so on your behalf, as the reason for your injury can quickly become disposed of or covered up.

Also, remember to notify the owner of the vehicle or manager of the business that you have suffered an injury and you need to submit an incident report to their insurance company. The incident report must be submitted within 24 hours. 

Try to establish who was at fault

Gather as much evidence that can help you and your attorney determine who caused the accident, as well as the damage caused by the accident. This is where photographs are very useful. Visual evidence can really assist in establishing who was at fault.  If you speak to other people that were involved in the accident, be sure to take notes about your conversation, and important details that prove you were not at fault in the accident.

Gather contact information from anyone who might have witnessed the incident.

Get the names and contact information of any witnesses that may have observed the accident. Make sure to contact these people to confirm their information.

Contact Garcia Law Group

Don’t let a personal injury accident cause chaos in your home life, job, health, and finances.  Be prepared and take that step in doing what needs to be done to protect yourself or a loved one.  If you have been involved in a personal injury accident, contact Garcia Law Group today! By acting quickly and efficiently, you’ll increase your chances of resolving your claim faster.