When you get into a car accident in PG County, you have dozens of thoughts going through your mind. Am I hurt? Is anyone else hurt? Do I need a tow? Did I do something wrong? How did this happen?
It is important that you stay calm and first, focus on answering the most important question: Am I or anyone else injured? A Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer says it is imperative that you don’t minimize your injuries, especially when your body’s initial physical reaction to the trauma may very well be delayed.
For example, what may seem like a small bump to the head could, over the course of a few hours, evolve into something more severe or even fatal. In many cases, some injuries can take days or weeks to appear and for you to experience the pain. By then, the victim’s claims of being injured as a direct result of the accident is likely to be questioned by insurance companies, and this may present challenges for even a highly skilled lawyer in obtaining a fair and reasonable settlement for your injuries.
What to Do After A Car Accident
Maryland personal injury lawyers say what you do next can have a considerable impact on a potential settlement for your injuries. If you have been hurt in a car accident, play it safe for the sake of your own health and well-being and request an ambulance at the crash scene. Here’s why:
If an ambulance is not requested at the crash scene and utilized for transport to the hospital, a police report will not be written. Why is this important? Because when a police report is not written, the officer will instead use an “Exchange of Information” sheet which will neither have insurance information on it nor any details of how the car accident occurred, making settlement of a claim much more difficult than it otherwise would be.
Outside of legal challenges, choosing not to receive medical attention could pose potential health risks. Consider this scenario: You’ve been rear-ended by another vehicle. You notice at the accident scene that your neck is just slightly sore, but don’t think much about it. You exchange information with the other driver, contact the insurance companies and continue with your day with plans to get your vehicle to the repair shop that same week.
The coming days, however, bring about a change in plans. That little bit of neck and/or back pain you experienced right after being rear-ended has turned into severe pain. You can’t turn your head to the right or left, and that pain is now radiating down your spine, which is affecting your mobility. Plus, headaches are not going away and have also become more frequent. You know any of those problems are directly because of your accident.
It Happens All Too Often
Cases similar to this are quite common and a police report (that is only filed if the injured takes and ambulance to the hospital) will play a huge factor in obtaining a fair and reasonable settlement for the victim.
In short, if you are injured in a car accident, don’t hesitate to call an ambulance to have your injuries evaluated. At the very least, a police report will be filed and will serve as official documentation of your case. At most, it could save your life and may prevent your injuries from worsening.
Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been injured in a Maryland car accident, call a Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer at The Lapidus Law Firm today. Standing up for what is right is our job, and we take pride in helping our clients receive fair and reasonable settlements for their injuries. Reach out at (301) 605-4296 and request a FREE consultation. WE CAN HELP!