How to Claim Bodily Injury from an Accident
Auto accidents happen as a routine occurrence on the roads, and at some point, an auto accident can happen to you. What you do immediately following an auto crash may affect your recovery of compensation for those parties responsible for the accident. For that reason, there is a best-case scenario that you can follow as a guideline to manage your claim on the bodily injury at the outset of experiencing your injury after an auto accident.
Call the Police at the Scene
When you have been in an auto accident in Georgia, you must report the accident right away to the police. There is no reason that an auto accident would not be reported to the law enforcement authorities after this type of loss. At the moment of the auto accident, the local law enforcement or police should be called. You can stay in your vehicle if it is safe to do so and call the police to report the auto accident while at the scene. You can utilize your mobile or iPhone to take pictures of the car accident while you are still in your vehicle and take a photo of the other car as well. Be sure to include the other car’s license plates and photos of the surrounding area to help place the scene and time of day that the accident took place.
It is not suggested that you get out of your vehicle to take photos of the accident scene at that time before the police arrive to stop oncoming traffic in that area. This is because you can be hit by a car attempting to go around the accident if you are walking in the street when you are distracted by taking photos of your accident scene. Also, do not remove the vehicles at an auto accident scene unless instructed by law enforcement to do so for the safety of yourself and the other motorists on the road.
Do Get Checked by the Paramedics at the Accident Scene
At the scene of an automobile accident, there may be emergency services personnel, the fire department, EMTs, or paramedics who are called to the scene to respond to help anyone who has suffered an injury due to the accident. If you have a bodily injury or don’t have outward signs of an injury but suspect that you are indeed injured, do not reject these services at the accident scene. When the paramedics respond to the scene of an auto accident, they will always make an effort to check over the occupants of a vehicle involved in a car crash. If you are involved in an auto accident and want to refuse services, you will be required to sign a waiver to state that you refused these services at the accident scene. That waiver protects the paramedics that they tried to offer you medical assistance, and you refused to take it. It will also be protection later for anyone that you go against with a legal claim for injures after a loss because you chose to refuse care and a medical check at the accident scene.
The first responders to an accident scene are there to help you and determine if you are injured due to a car accident. Countless times a person who has experienced a car accident will “feel fine” immediately following a crash and later realize that the individual is indeed injured after all. For example, many people on their own do not realize that they have a concussion after an accident or could have internal injuries and not know it. The first responders are specially trained to determine your health and any injuries at the scene of an auto accident. Don’t ever try to diagnose yourself. You could be suffering life-threatening injuries and not even know it!
Report Your Bodily Injury to Your Insurance Company
After you have been in a car accident, you must call your own insurance company immediately to report the details of the car accident that you experienced. This is to report the loss and describe any subsequent injuries you have sustained due to the car accident. Your insurance company may ask you for any documents supporting your loss, such as:
- Medical bills
- Doctor visit billings
- Car service bills (to go to doctor visits)
- Drug receipts for medications prescribed for pain, etc.
- Copy of doctor diagnosis of your condition
- Dates off of work on account of the injury
- Any discharge papers from the hospital
Keep a record of all of your doctor visits and the expenses associated with this loss, with the chronological dates of each event related to your injuries. This way, you will have a formal record of your injury and expenses related to your bodily injury suffered as a result of the car accident.
Who Will Pay for Your Medical Bills?
Auto accidents that result in bodily injuries will have medical bills for any individuals who are hurt as a result of the accident. Although most motorists will send claims to their own insurance company, if another motorist is at fault for the accident, that individual’s insurance company needs to pay for the medical bills incurred from the loss. The at-fault driver’s insurance company often wants to pay off or settle with the person insured after an automobile accident. This is when you need an experienced bodily injury attorney the most!
Get In Touch With CEO Lawyer Today!
The at-fault or other driver’s insurance company will want to settle the claim for bodily injuries as cheaply and as quickly as possible. You need to have the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm on your side to get you the total compensation you deserve in these cases. When you have been injured due to an automobile accident, your injuries may carry over into the future – which is often the case. Your settlement for bodily injuries needs to consider any future needs that you may have regarding future medical expenses for the next few months, or even years, following an automobile accident. Call the CEO Lawyer today. Our injury and accident attorneys are here for you at every stage of your bodily injury case.