1. It wasn’t my fault. I did everything I was supposed to do.
2. He should have known I wasn’t looking in my blind spot.
3. He stopped too suddenly.
4. I don’t like to hit my brakes that hard.
5. It was innocuous when I started to make my u-turn.
6. I looked and there was no one close to me.
7. I looked both ways. He must have come out of nowhere really fast.
8. He must have been going way over the speed limit or I would have seen him.
9. I’ll bet he’s drunk. He’s got a sports car.
10. I’ll bet she was putting on her makeup or something.
Here are ten useful tips of advice from a automobile happening lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a automobile happening in Rialto, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com and learning how we can assist you.
Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it’s probably been at least a few days since the accident. However, if it’s only been a few hours or if you ever have another accident, here’s what you should do the next time from the start.
First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They might even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or begin a fight.
Second, make sure everyone is innocuous from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your automobile is a traffic hazard and you have happening warning devices like flares or triangles, place them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency organisation investigate the scene with the cars in place and move them more safely at a later point.
Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later state you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your ideal recollection is immediately after an accident.
Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company study and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.
Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the automobile and you aren’t too injured, take some pictures of the cars and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.
Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your automobile if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you might feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only begin feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are granted to seek treatment.
Seventh, call a good automobile happening lawyer as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good automobile happening lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about automobile repairs, automobile rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good automobile happening lawyer can nearly always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making pricey mistakes. Also, most automobile happening attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.
Eight, you will need to report the happening to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the happening to the Department of Motor Cars and your lawyer can give you the form for this.
Ninth, do not concur to settle your claim privately with the mortal at fault for the accident. This nearly never works out to your advantage. Don’t concur not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an happening are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.
Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or concur to accept a small payment for your automobile fixes without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.
If you’ve had a automobile happening in Rialto, Redlands, Hemet, Perris, Colton, Highland, Yucaipa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Apple Valley, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Rialto Automobile Accident Lawyer and your Fontana Automobile Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane happening experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.
If you have a individualized injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com and learn how we can assist you.
The Sebastian Gibson Law Firm serves auto, motorcycle and truck happening victims in Rialto, Redlands, Hemet, Perris, Colton, Highland, Yucaipa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and Apple Valley. We also serve pedestrian, bicycle and automobile happening clients from San Diego to Orange County, Long Beach and Santa Monica, Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Indio, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard and San Luis Obispo, and all of Southern California.
Visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com if you have a individualized injury legal matter of any kind. We have the knowledge and resources to represent you as your Rialto Automobile Accident Lawyer and Fontana Automobile Accident Attorney or your attorney in and around the cities of Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Carlsbad, Oceanside, La Jolla, Del Mar and Escondido. We also serve Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Corona, Westminster, Buena Park, Mission Viejo, Garden Grove, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Laguna Niguel, Chino Hills, San Clemente, Pacific Beach, Coachella, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Joshua Tree, Highland, Banning, Norco, all of Riverside County and San Bernardino County and the Coachella Valley.
