If you’re lucky, the only lasting effects of a car accident will be some sore muscles and a lingering fear of driving. But for many accident victims, the impact is much deeper. A crash can have long-lasting physical, emotional, and financial effects on your life. In fact, according to recent research, car accidents are one of the top 10 causes of personal injury in America today.
Fortunately, even if you’re in an unfortunate situation after being involved in a car accident—as many other drivers are every year—there are attorneys out there who can help ease the stress and pressure that comes with it.
Below is our list of the top Florida car accident lawyers to contact after your crash:
Take care of your physical health.
First, you’ll want to make sure that your physical health is in good shape. This means making sure you get the proper medical treatment for any injuries that you’ve sustained. If you’ve been experiencing chronic pain from the accident, make sure to get that addressed too. In addition to helping with your immediate recovery, this can help you in the long run. A documented history of your injuries will make it much easier for you to get the compensation you deserve.
Accident victims who visit their doctor within a few days of the crash are more likely to be compensated for the injuries sustained—even if the injuries are relatively mild. Plus, if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you thought, having a record of exactly what happened can help your doctor, your lawyer, and the insurance company make a more accurate assessment of your condition and what sort of treatment you may need.
Document the damage and your injuries.
If you can, it’s a good idea to photograph the damage to both cars. Take care to avoid walking around the scene of the accident—if you walk over to the other vehicle, you could contaminate the scene and risk decreasing your chances of getting compensation. Next, you’ll want to make a record of your injuries.
This can be as simple as writing down how your body is feeling. If you’ve sustained any injuries, whether it be a sprain, broken bone, or other damage, you’ll want to record the severity of these injuries. If you’ve been experiencing chronic pain, it may help to track this on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the most severe pain you’ve ever felt.
Check to see whether there was insurance.
If your accident occurred in a car, truck, or van, there was probably insurance coverage. You’ll want to get the other driver’s information, including their name, address, driver’s license number, vehicle make and model, and vehicle identification number (VIN).
If you were in a car accident with a truck or a van, you should also get the trucking company’s information. Insurance companies are legally required to offer you insurance. If you’ve been involved in a car accident and someone else caused it, they may try to avoid this responsibility and refuse to offer you insurance. If this happens, you can contact a Florida car accident lawyer for help.
Decide whether to consult a lawyer.
Once you’ve obtained the other driver’s information and given your own to the police, you’ll want to decide whether to consult a lawyer. While you don’t need a lawyer to file a claim with your insurance company, most car accident lawyers will be able to help you navigate through this process much more smoothly than you could on your own.
Many lawyers will offer a free consultation and let you know if they think you have a good case before you have to pay any money. If you’ve been in a car accident with a commercial truck, you may want to consider consulting a lawyer. Since the trucking company has more resources than you do, you’ll need an attorney to level the playing field and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
You may be able to recover economic damages.
Economic damage refers to financial loss related to the accident. If you lost wages from missing work due to your injuries, if you had to pay for medical treatment, or if you had to pay for car repairs, you could be able to recover these losses through your insurance company as economic damages.
If you were in a car accident that involved a commercial truck, you could also be able to recover economic damages. If you’ve been experiencing long-term pain, seeing a doctor and getting the treatment you need can end up costing thousands of dollars out of pocket. Your insurance company may be legally obligated to compensate you for these economic damages.
You may be able to recover non-economic damages as well.
Finally, you may be able to recover non-economic damages as well. These non-economic damages refer to the emotional distress and mental anguish that you’ve been feeling since the accident. You may also be able to recover additional noneconomic damages for your physical pain and suffering. If you’ve been dealing with long-lasting anxiety or fear since the accident, you may also be able to recover from this as well.
Conclusion
The best way to recover after a car accident is to take good care of yourself physically and emotionally. Make sure to get the medical treatment you need for any injuries that you sustain, and document everything that’s going on with your body.
If you’ve been experiencing lingering anxiety or fear about the accident, you may want to seek treatment for that as well. Once you’ve taken care of yourself, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision about who to hire as your attorney and what type of compensation you may be able to receive.
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