The growing number of car accidents around the world is a serious concern. This is especially true when the number of fatal accidents is increasing in developed countries like the US.
According to the latest figures from NHTSA, 42,915 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2021, a 10.5% rise from 2020. The figures are even higher for those who have been injured in such accidents.
If you have been involved in a car accident, you might be feeling overwhelmed and confused about what steps to take next. But you don’t have to do this alone. It’s important to know your rights and responsibilities when it comes to car accidents, but also what options are available for recovering compensation if you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence.
The following are four aspects you can do to strengthen your claim after a car accident:
Hire a Professional Accident Attorney
If you were involved in a car accident, you may be wondering if you have grounds to file a lawsuit. After all, car accidents are something that happens every day.
But did you know that the number of auto accidents has been growing for decades? In fact, the US has become a new hotspot for car accidents. Various states in the United States have already seen an upsurge and the negative repercussions of car accidents on their economy.
For example, Missouri witnessed 921 deaths, along with 848 fatal crashes. These numbers are staggering, and they’re only getting worse.
If you belong to the state and are involved in a car accident, then hiring a St. Louis car accident attorney will help you navigate the legal process after an accident and ensure that your rights are protected.
There are many reasons why it’s important to hire a professional accident attorney:
- They know the law inside and out.
- They know how to get results for their clients.
- They know what evidence is required to prove your case in court, and they’ll make sure that evidence is gathered properly and presented in court on your behalf.
- They have experience with all kinds of accidents and can help guide you through the process from start to finish, making sure that every step along the way is handled correctly so that nothing goes wrong later on down the road.
Vehicle Damage Reports
If you’re involved in a car accident, one of the first things you should do is get a vehicle damage report. This document is essential to strengthening your case and helping you get the compensation you deserve. Here’s why:
- It documents the extent of damage to your car and can help prove that you suffered damages from the accident.
- It provides evidence of how much money you need to repair your vehicle, which may be different than what you initially anticipated. This can be used as evidence of how much money you need as compensation for your injuries, property damage, and other losses incurred as a result of being involved in the accident.
- It shows how much time it will take for repairs to be completed, which can also be used as evidence of how much money you need as compensation for lost wages or medical bills while awaiting repairs on your vehicle.
Medical Records
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s important to get medical treatment as soon as possible. It’s best to see a doctor within 24 hours of the accident, and ideally within 12.
Getting medical treatment is essential for several reasons. First and foremost, it helps your body heal from any injuries sustained during the crash. But in addition to that, it can also be very helpful when filing your car accident lawsuit, as it provides evidence of how serious your injuries were and how long they took to heal.
Without medical records showing that you went to the doctor right away, it may look like you’re making up or exaggerating your injuries just so you can make more money out of them.
Most people don’t know this, but if you don’t have any medical records proving that you had an accident and suffered injuries because of it even if there were witnesses who saw what happened, then your case could be thrown out completely. The judge might think that since there are no records proving you were injured at all, then there must not have been any damage done either.
With the help of the police, try and get the medical record of the opposite person as well. This will help you prove your case more efficiently. Moreover, substance abuse is also a major driver of car accidents. Drugs, alcohol, or medication led to roughly 10% of fatal crashes.
It’s also quite possible that the driver who collided with your car could be under substance abuse. With the help of the police, try and get the medical record of the opposite person as well. This will help you prove your case more efficiently.
Photographs of the Scene and Vehicles
If you’re involved in a car accident, the photographs you take of the scene and vehicles can be invaluable.
A photograph not only lets you prove that there really was an accident but also helps you show exactly how it happened. If there’s no evidence that an accident occurred, or if it looks like one person was at fault, your case will likely be dismissed by the court.
If you were driving and have pictures from inside your car (such as those taken by your dash cam), then you can use them to show how fast or slow you were going before impact. You can also use this information to show that another driver was at fault for speeding up suddenly or taking a turn too fast if they were speeding and/or taking turns incorrectly before impact, then this may weaken their claim against yours.
If someone else hit your vehicle from behind during an accident in which both parties are at fault, then photos from inside their vehicle could help support your claim that they caused the accident by rear-ending you even though both drivers were negligent in some way.
Summing Up
In conclusion, if you’ve been involved in a car accident and are trying to decide whether to get help from an attorney or not, it’s important to know that you have options. No matter what the circumstances of your case, there may be ways to strengthen your case and make it more likely that you’ll receive compensation for your injuries.
Additional: