When you are injured in an accident, a lot is happening in those initial moments right after the accident happens. It might be a bicycle accident, a motorcycle accident, a pedestrian accident…. It doesn’t matter what the accident involves or how it happens. The fact is, things can be downright hectic and stressful immediately after an injury. Nevertheless, there are some fundamental things you need to do if you ever find yourself the victim of an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence.
Take an Ambulance
As soon as you realize that you’ve been injured because of the negligence of another person, it is essential to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Your best mode of transportation? An ambulance. Here’s why:
Faster treatment: Sure, you can catch a ride or drive yourself to the hospital, but you risk your injuries worsening in that time it takes you to get there. With ambulance transportation, you’ll get there in at least half the time than you would if you drove yourself. Your health and well being is the most important factor!
A police report: When you utilize the services of an ambulance for medical transportation, something unique happens that won’t occur if you choose not to use an ambulance: You’ll prompt the creation of a police report. This police report will contain all the pertinent details of your injury, including the date, time, details of your injuries, possibly witness accounts of what occurred and much more.
Take Pictures
If you can do so safely, it may benefit you greatly to take pictures of your accident and the surrounding scene. For example, suppose you are a pedestrian in Washington, DC, you trip on a crumbling, unmaintained sidewalk and suffer an injury as a result. It will serve you well to take pictures of that sidewalk so your DC personal injury lawyer and prove what made you fall and sustain your injuries. Without those photos, your injuries could go into a “he-said-she-said” situation, and that doesn’t help build a strong case.
When you have photos on hand to prove where you fell and why you fell, you are supporting your own case with pictures to help prove what caused your accident. Also, consider that the crumbling sidewalk could be repaired soon after your injury, so it is best to get photos of the scene immediately.
Take Notes
In many cases, injuries don’t show up until hours or days following an accident. For example, suppose you are rear-ended in a car accident. You may not notice that you have a bit of tightening in your neck on the scene, but when you wake up the following morning, your head is throbbing, and you can barely turn it from side to side.
This injury will likely be diagnosed as neck strain, but it is crucial that you get to a doctor immediately to get a formal diagnosis and treatment. The longer you take for treatment, the more leverage the insurance company has to dismiss your injuries as minor, and that means they will likely offer you a smaller settlement – if they offer anything at all. In reality, your DC personal injury lawyer knows that there is no such thing as a minor injury because your life can be heavily impacted by an injury that is seemingly small at the time it happens.
When you’ve been hurt, be sure to document the pain, how often it happens, how severe the pain is and how it is affecting everyday activities.
DC Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Top DC Personal Injury Lawyer Larry Lapidus today for a free consultation. Mr. Lapidus has four decades of experience in winning substantial settlements for his clients – many of whom have taken the time to leave glowing reviews online.
Mr. Lapidus’ negligence cases span a wide variety of circumstances, including car and truck collision, falls in commercial property, dog bites by unleashed dogs, and much more. You deserve the very best legal representation, so reach out today at (202) 785-5111 for a free, no-obligation telephone consultation regarding your claim a DC Personal Injury Lawyer at The Lapidus Law Firm.