Washington, DC And Maryland Injury Lawyers For Car Accidents
If you have been injured in an auto accident, we invite you to complete this auto accident questionnaire so we can learn more about your accident.
Getting injured in a car accident isn’t something you expected. One minute you were driving along the road, and the next minute, you’re trying to figure out what happened – and how it happened so fast. Then you realize: the car accident you’ve just been in isn’t just a car accident – it’s a car accident with injuries, and you’re the one injured, AND it was caused by someone else.
Time to call your personal injury lawyer in DC at The Lapidus Law Firm.
What To Do When Injured in A Car Accident
When you’ve been injured in a car accident, the first thing you should do is get medical treatment. Don’t hesitate to use an ambulance for transportation to the emergency room – that’s why an ambulance is in existence – to get someone who is injured to a hospital quickly.
Don’t dismiss your injuries as minor because doing so will give the insurance companies leverage in offering you a lowball settlement. For example, suppose you have a bruised ankle after a car accident, and it hurts to walk. After the pain doesn’t go away, you decide to see a doctor who tells you that your tendons are stretched and you will need extensive physical therapy to heal fully.
Now you’re facing a long list of problems: missing work, lost wages, medical bills – and those problems lead to stress because, financially, you are not prepared to handle these unexpected issues that are a direct result of your car accident. And the insurance company? They are not on your side in situations like this one. In fact, most liability insurers are only interested in resolving your injury claim at the lowest possible cost to them.
Situations like this one can be easily avoided if you get medical treatment immediately after your accident and follow up as instructed by the medical professional involved in your case.
Why Getting Treatment Immediately Matters
Your health and well-being are – without a doubt – the most important factor in a car accident. If you think you’ve been injured, you need to get to the ER or urgent care center immediately. However, getting treatment quickly isn’t just for health purposes.
Insurance companies look closely at the time lapse between your car accident and when you received medical treatment.
If you wait several days to get treatment (even if your symptoms take several days to appear), the adjusters will use that delayed treatment as a reason to lowball a settlement offer. Get treatment as soon as possible. Not just for your health but for documentation as well. If you don’t receive prompt treatment, the insurance adjusters will argue that you are not as badly injured as you actually are.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Some of the most common car accident injuries include Traumatic Brain Injuries, neck and back injuries, bumps, bruises, lacerations, and broken bones. There is no standard “scale” to determine which of these injuries is worse than the other. Each person’s injuries are unique to them, and it is important that you, your lawyer, and your doctors handle your injuries as such.
It is important to note that treatment doesn’t always result in a quick case. In many cases, car accident injuries require physical therapy and follow-up doctor’s appointments. This may mean missing work and lost wages; however, your DC Personal Injury Lawyer will include that (and any other relevant factors) when negotiating a settlement with the insurance company on your behalf.
DC Personal Injury Lawyer
Do you need a DC Personal Injury Lawyer to handle the legalities of your car accident case? The car accident lawyers at The Lapidus Law Firm will communicate directly with the insurance companies to ensure you get a reasonable settlement. If you don’t obtain the services of a DC Personal Injury Lawyer and instead opt to handle your own case, your settlement offer will likely be a fraction of what your team at The Lapidus Law Firm can obtain for you.
To obtain legal advice regarding your injury claim, call The Lapidus Law Firm today to set up your free, no-obligation consultation at (202) 785-5111.