How You Can Take Control Of Your Accident, And How You Can Lose Control Over It As Well

25 August 2015 by Jonathan Phillips

If you are ever in an automobile accident, or any kind of accident for that matter, you need to take control of the situation as much as you possibly can. Accidents can occur without warning, and if you plan to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, it helps if you do what you have to do to help your own case.

When You Don't Take Control of Your Accident

When you don't take control of your own situation, others will take that control away from you. Here's an example of how you give up control after an accident.

• You don't file a police report
• You don't attempt to get the other party's information
• You don't immediately report it to your insurance company
• You don't seek medical attention (even if you feel fine)

When you're not proactive about your situation, you give control to the other party. What happens if the negligent party says you're the one that caused the accident? What if they seek damages? Even worse, what happens when you find out later that you really did suffer some kind of injury?

If you never filed a report or took your time reporting the accident (or didn't report it at all), then the situation will look bad for you. You've effectively lost control of your potential case.

When You Do Take Control of Your Accident

If you take the necessary steps to take charge of your accident, you won't have any surprises later. Depending on the severity of your accident, it's not always possible to do everything. But there are a few steps you should attempt to take for any accident to give you control over it.

• File a police report
• Tell police on the scene that you intend to see a doctor; visit a doctor as soon as possible
• Gather as much contact information as you can (or ask someone you trust to do it for you)
• Call your insurance company and tell them the situation

In addition to all of these things, you should immediately start documenting all the things that led up to, and happened after, your accident. Each of these things can help you a lot. Even if you don't plan to pursue a personal injury case, these actions can help prevent the other party from placing blame on you.

If you do intend to pursue a claim, these things will help you prove your case. They can also give your lawyer a good place to start.

If In Doubt, Call an Accident Lawyer

Out of everything you can do, calling a lawyer is probably the most important. If you do nothing else, you can speak to an accident lawyer. He or she will let you know what you need to do and whether you have a potential case or not.

As far as control goes, a lawyer can represent complete control of your accident. They can have your case in motion before the other party thinks to pursue one against you.

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