Important Info About Auto Accident Claims!

Hildebrand & Wilson, LLC in Pearland, Texas - Image of an Auto Accident

There are an estimated 2 million car accidents every year in the United States, many of them requiring the services of a personal injury lawyer.

In the latest reported statistics, there were 36,560 fatalities related to car crashes and hundreds of thousands of people injured, some very seriously.¹

Among these, early 10% or 3,642 occurred in Texas.¹

With this many accidents happening in one state alone, auto accident lawyers regularly see high numbers of auto-related personal injury cases, many of which could have greater success if auto accident insurance claims were better filed.

Be sure that these critical details are followed so an auto accident attorney can better help clients with their claim for damages.

1. Call Police and Ambulance

Regardless of the severity of the accident, be sure to contact the police so they can come to the scene and make a police report of the incident.

Should lawyers end up involved, this is an important piece of evidence that can be used to help the case.

Accident lawyers recommend that an ambulance be called and those involved in the accident are at least examined unless there are no obvious injuries.

This creates a medical record of the incident straight from the start.

2. Gather Information And Locate Witnesses

Exchange personal and insurance information with the other parties in the accident, including addresses, phone numbers, license numbers, policy numbers, and more.

Accident attorneys then recommend trying to find witnesses who saw the accident happen and gather their contact information as well.

Witnesses can be crucial to proving fault, even in minor accidents but especially in serious ones.

3. Gather Evidence At The Scene

The more physical and photographic evidence that is collected at the scene for personal injury lawyers to work with, the better it is for the accident claim case.

Someone should take detailed photographs of the accident scene including tire marks, vehicle damage, vehicle resting positions, injuries, and anything else applicable to the accident.

Note any security cameras that may have caught the accident which can be accessed to allow accident lawyers and insurance companies to later gather additional evidence.

Once this is done and all information has been collected, call the insurance company.

4. Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer

At this point, a wise choice is to contact an accident attorney to discuss the accident claim as getting legal help earlier in the claim process can improve settlement results.

Lawyers can protect physical accident evidence, gain dashcam and surveillance camera evidence, and use that with all other evidence to establish a valid case that will accurately determine fault, and then protect the rights of their clients to obtain a fair settlement.

Seek legal counsel as soon as possible ;as there is a 2-year statute of limitations in Texas from the date of the accident.

5. Don't Do This After An Auto Accident

Along with knowing what to do after an accident, accident lawyers also stress what not to do as well:

Don’t admit fault or apologize.
Don’t refuse offered medical assistance or say “I’m fine.&rdquo
Don’t self-diagnose or disregard medical advice.
Don’t negotiate with insurance companies without legal assistance.

Do These Things for Success With Auto Accident Claims

Getting into a car accident is a stressful thing for anyone, no matter how serious the crash.

Because we never know what can happen after the fact, Texas personal injury lawyers strongly recommend following these tips that can help build a strong case.

Working together with an experienced accident attorney, you have a greater chance at a positive outcome with your accident claim and a fair settlement based on the circumstances.