Car Accident, now what?

We often get calls from our clients after they have been injured in a car accident and AFTER they have already spoken with an insurance company — such as the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. Sometimes, our clients have already agreed to a settlement regarding the damage to their vehicle. And, almost always, our clients are amazed at how their conversations with an insurance company are later used against them and the agreed upon resolution of the damage to their car.

To help our clients, we have come up with 7 tips to remember when involved in a car accident:

1. Make sure you are in a safe place and not somewhere that you may get hit again;
2. Seek immediate medical treatment if you even think that you may be injured;
3. Call the police and request they make a report of the accident;
4. Talk only to the police, your medical treatment providers and your attorneys;
5. Take photos of your vehicle and your injuries;
6. Contact us as soon as it is safe to do so; and
7. Document your injuries, the pain you suffer and the way in which your injuries affect your lifestyle.

It is important to remember, only speak to the police, medical treatment providers, and your attorneys. There is a reason that the insurance companies try to reach you shortly after an automobile accident and it is not because they are concerned about you. Insurance companies know that they can and will use anything you say against you in a court of law. They also know, from years of being in the business of automobile accidents, that your injuries will not be as obvious shortly after the accident. Thus, they may be able to get you on tape saying you are fine and later, when you find out you have injuries, they will pull out the tape of you saying you were fine.

It is also important to remember, if we are your attorneys, speak to us before you agree to any action regarding your vehicle. Many, if not most, personal injury attorneys will not get involved with the settlement of your vehicle damage. Attorneys don’t get paid for helping you get more for the damage to your automobile. However, at Leist Warner, we help our clients get the most for the damage to their car IF they want our help and they contact us before they agree to a settlement with an insurance company. Often we can help our clients get significantly more for the damage to their car and we do it because it is the right thing to do for our clients.

If you forget what to do after you are involved in an automobile accident, just call us at 614.222.1000 or email us at info@leistwarner.com. We will take care of it for you so you can focus on getting better. And, we only get paid if and when we recover money for your injuries.