Every time you get behind the wheel of a car, there’s a risk of being involved in a traffic accident.
Every car accident has the potential to cause severe injuries, but high-impact crashes are particularly devastating.
When cars travel at high speeds, the impact of a collision with another automobile or object is much more forceful. In high-impact collisions, cars cannot offer much protection to their occupants. Such accidents often result in fatal or catastrophic injuries.
If you are a victim of a high-impact collision or any other type of car accident in Philadelphia, seek immediate medical attention, even if your injuries are minor, and then contact a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer with expertise in handling car accident cases right away.
What To Do After A High-impact Car Accident
If you are involved in a car accident, it’s vital to remain calm and take the following steps to ensure your safety and protect your rights:
- Assess yourself and those around you for injuries. Call 911 if someone is hurt.
- If possible, move your car to a safer location without harming others or disrupting traffic.
- Call the police to report the accident. A police officer will arrive at the accident scene and make a detailed report of the incident. A police report summarizes the information the officer compiles. It contains all accident-related facts and the officer’s interpretation of the accident.
The report may or may not hold a party liable for the crash.
Insurance claims adjusters review the police report when investigating the accident to determine liability and claim value.
- Pennsylvania laws require those involved in accidents to exchange insurance information, names, addresses, telephone numbers, and driver’s license numbers with other parties to the accident. Also, obtain vehicle identification numbers.
- Obtain names, addresses, and contact details of any witnesses.
- Use your cellphone to take photographs of your injuries, vehicle damage, and the accident scene (skid marks, potholes, malfunctioning signals, or obstacles)
- Notify your insurance company. Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state. Drivers in the state can choose to opt into the no-fault system or opt out of it.
- Pennsylvania law requires drivers to report an accident if there are any injuries or deaths, or if vehicle damage has made the car unsafe to drive from the scene.
If the police don’t arrive at the accident scene to investigate the accident, you must fill out a Driver’s Accident Report Form and file it with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation within five days of the accident.
- Seek medical treatment. Getting a thorough assessment of your accident injuries and complying with the prescribed treatment plan is crucial for your overall well-being and the success of your injury claim. One of the first things an insurance claims adjuster investigates is whether or not you sought medical treatment promptly after your car accident
- Enlist the services of an accident lawyer. Your lawyer will help you understand the scope and extent of your legal rights
Role Of An Attorney In Helping Accident Victims Strategize A Legal Roadmap To Recover Compensation
An insurance company will look for any reason to deny, dispute, or delay your claim. Your insurance adjuster may not have your best interests at heart, but a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer will.
Your lawyer will ensure confidentiality
provide emotional support, and help you get familiarized with the intricate legal system in Pennsylvania. Your lawyer will also:
- Obtain copies of the police report and medical records
- Determine liability and liable parties
- Value the worth of your claim
- Identify and interview witnesses
- Investigate the accident site and gather compelling evidence to build a robust case
- Hire and consult experts from different fields to determine the origin and the cause of the accident. An experienced car accident attorney in Philadelphia has access to a network of experts that includes accident reconstruction experts, economic experts, vocational rehabilitation experts, life care planners, and medical experts
- Help you to understand the severity and long-term ramifications of your injuries.
- Assist you in locating leading doctors and rehabilitation facilities near you
- Ensure you fully understand and adhere to the specific time limits, restrictions, and rules for filing an accident claim or personal injury lawsuit in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Statute of Limitations for personal injury lawsuits is two years after the date of the accident.
- Negotiate a favorable settlement on your behalf.
- Take your case to court for trial, if necessary
- Recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life and companionship.
If you’ve suffered injuries in a high-impact collision in Philadelphia, you must find the best legal care immediately. Contact a leading Philadelphia personal injury law firm to schedule a free and confidential case consultation.
