After a car accident occurs, individuals must take action to get the medical care they need, alert the police about the incident, and file a claim. Knowing what to do at the right time is critical. Navigating the legal process after a car accident in Anaheim is critical. Talk to an Anaheim car accident lawyer about your case today.
Know What to Do At the Scene of the Accident
Your first step is always to contact the police to request help at the scene of the accident. Doing this helps to document any evidence available in the case and provides you with the support you need to get medical care.
If it is safe to do so, complete these tasks right after a car accident:
- Gather contact information for all other parties involved. That includes the other driver, anyone who saw what occurred, and any passengers.
- File a police report that documents all evidence in the case. Provide only factual statements and do not admit any fault.
- Get medical care. Medical care ensures you get the care you need. It also ensures that you document all injuries at the time of the incident. This makes it easier to file a claim for those losses.
Seek out these steps first, and work on completing your care. At this point, we also encourage you to contact our legal team for immediate help on the rest of the process.
What to Expect from the Legal Process
As you get medical care and seek to heal from your injury, you also need to stay up-to-date on the legal process. There are numerous components to this process:
- Complete medical care and document all costs related to your accident.
- Keep a log of all losses beyond medical care. This includes time missed at work, transportation costs, and medical service-related costs, such as medications or the purchase of supportive equipment.
- Your attorney will send a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company outlining these losses. We then answer any questions that may be asked by the insurance company. This often means providing more information.
- In most cases, we reach a settlement with the insurance company at this point. There is often some level of negotiation involved.
- File a lawsuit. In situations where the insurance company and you cannot come to an agreement on the value of the claim, our law firm will then file a lawsuit in court. Filing a lawsuit like this enables us to push the insurance company to begin the discovery process, a questioning process that lets them determine all losses.
- We go to trial. Though in most cases, you will be able to see a settlement before this happens, we are trial-ready attorneys. That means we will go to court to prove your right to compensation.
Throughout this legal process, you can expect our attorneys to remain by your side. You do not have to deal with the insurance company yourself. You also do not have to answer endless questions about your health. Let us protect your rights.
Schedule a Consultation with an Attorney to Learn What Your Rights Are
The legal process after a car accident in Anaheim can be rather straightforward. Yet, it is up to you to be thorough and completely document your losses. Having an attorney who can do this for you to the letter of the law is critical.