What to Do After a Personal Injury Accident
Getting in any sort of accident is scary, especially when you have sustained injuries. There are most likely many things rushing through your mind, including asking yourself how the accident happened in the first place, how you’re going to pay for injuries or damages to personal property, how long will it take to recover, and more. Possibly the most common question that people ask themselves after an accident is “what do I do now?” or “where do I go from here?”
The most important thing to understand in this situation is that you are not alone. If you need legal guidance, you can rely on the team at Murphy Falcon & Murphy. Our personal injury law firm has helped countless clients through their journey and have been there for each step of the process. When you need an experienced team of compassionate yet determined lawyers, give us a call right away. We provide service to the Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland areas.
What Should You Do After a Personal Injury Accident?
Call The Authorities
As soon as possible, it’s important to call emergency services. The authorities will ensure that the proper steps are followed and done so correctly. They will also create an accident report that insurance companies can use later on in the investigation when determining how the accident occurred. This is a very important first step in order to officially document the accident.
Seek Medical Attention
Getting in an accident, whether you slipped and fell, were in a car crash, or if a product caused an injury, the important thing to do right away is to seek medical attention. Even when there are not obvious injuries such as broken bones or bleeding, some accidents can cause internal injuries, or brain injuries that don’t present symptoms for days, weeks, or even months. In some jurisdictions, if you don’t seek medical attention within a certain amount of time, it can affect your ability to file a personal injury claim.
Police Reports
Personal injury cases, like car accidents, often involve the police who will create a report. As soon as you can, ask for a copy of the report. You may need to go to court to get a copy and possibly pay a fee, but generally you are able to get a copy of the report for your records. If a personal injury claim is filed and the case goes to court, the report is, in some cases, not admissible during the proceeding. However, it can provide valuable information. The report will have information about the accident, such as when and where it occurred, the weather at time (which may be relevant in a car accident), parties involved in the accident, witnesses, witness statements, citations, and the officer’s opinion regarding the cause of the accident and who or what was at fault.
Hiring a Personal Injury Law Firm
If you believe the accident occurred due to no fault of your own, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and more. When filing a personal injury claim, it is always best to work with an experienced and skilled law firm. The team at Murphy Falcon & Murphy will fight hard for your case and will be by your side throughout the process.
Gathering and Preserving Evidence
When the situation has settled and all injuries have been taken care of as best they can, take some time to document the accident and your experience before, during, and after the event. Be as detailed as you can about what you were doing, what you believe caused the accident, and what happened after. Be as specific as possible to ensure that no detail is left out. There are some details that may not seem relevant to you, but will be to a personal injury lawyer. Keep detailed information about any injuries that you sustained, including physical and mental, as well as any medical treatment that you received, any time you had to take off from work and wages lost, or if the accident interfered with personal relationships or any vacations you had planned.
If you plan on filing a claim through a personal injury law firm, it’s important to keep as much documentation as possible, including damage reports, cost quotes for repairs, medical bills, the police report, any photos, your own documentation, and anything else you believe is important or relevant to the accident. These documents will be essential for your personal injury attorney in formulating a case.
Notifying Parties of Intent to File a Lawsuit
When you decide that you do want to file a personal injury claim against another person or company, you must notify the parties of your intent. There isn’t a time limit in which you must notify them; however, you should act as quickly as you can to prevent too much time from passing. The faster you are able to contact a personal injury lawyer and get the claim started, the faster the case can be either settled or go to court.
Filing a Lawsuit
Actually filing a lawsuit does need to happen before the statute of limitations has passed. In the state of Maryland, the statute of limitations for filing personal injury claims is three years, which means you have three years from the day of the accident to file your claim. When you do not file within this time, you are forfeiting your right to potentially receive compensation for the accident and related expenses. Your personal injury attorney will be there to help you understand what deadlines you must meet and what is required during this process.
Accidents that resulted in personal injuries should be taken seriously, regardless of how serious the accident and resulting injuries were. If you were in an accident that resulted in having to pay medical bills, if you lost wages, or are suffering from emotional stress, get in touch with the personal injury law firm Murphy Falcon & Murphy. Our firm brings 70 years of experience providing legal assistance to the Baltimore area, and we’re passionate about helping you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a consultation.