What Steps You Should Take After a Car Accident in California?
What Steps You Should Take After a Car Accident in California?
If you have been injured in a car accident in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California due to the fault of another party (i.e., through their negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct), the law may give you a right to compensation. In the event of a car accident, however, it’s important that you follow certain steps to ensure that you not only adequately recover from your injuries, but that your potential claims are preserved.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the steps that the victim should take after sustaining injuries in a car accident. Consider the following.
Secure Adequate Medical Care
As a car accident injury victim, your first priority should be securing adequate and timely medical care so that you can receive the necessary treatment for your injuries. Your health is the most important thing, and it’s important that you do not neglect to obtain assistance in the wake of a car accident. Failure to secure adequate and timely medical care could undermine your claims and lead to a proportional reduction in your overall damage recovery.
Gather Evidence From the Accident Site
After the accident, it’s important to obtain supplementary evidence from the scene of the accident, such as photographs, video footage, and notes describing the incident that just occurred so that you do not forget it later. This evidence could be particularly useful if the police do not take quality photographs of the accident and there is no nearby video footage of the accident as it unfolded.
Seek the Help of a Qualified Los Angeles Injury Lawyer
It is critical that you seek the help of a qualified Los Angeles injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Your lawyer will perform a range of tasks on your behalf — they will serve as the go-between for all communications with insurers and opposing counsel, provide investigative assistance, identify eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, begin to negotiate a possible compromise with the defendant, and handle all administrative duties relating to the litigation of your claim.
Obtain Written Records
Written records are fundamental to a successful car accident claim. With the aid of an attorney, you can identify relevant records (that will support your claim) and request them from the entities/persons who own them, such as a hospital or clinic.
Timely File Your Claims
In California, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims — including car accident claims — is just two years from the date of injury. Failure to file your claims before the deadline passes could lead to an automatic dismissal at a later date.
Contact our personal injury attorneys for Comprehensive Assistance
Prestige Law Firm is well-equipped to provide the assistance necessary to secure a favorable result. Our team has had demonstrable success in pursuing personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs in a range of car accident disputes, including those that involve complex legal issues and high-conflict evidentiary challenges.
Ready to speak to an experienced Los Angeles injury lawyer about your claims? Call us at 818-788-0808 or send us a message through our online form system to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
