No matter the severity of the collision, car accidents are incredibly jarring experiences that can leave victims injured or otherwise unable to return to life as usual. Numerous factors play into the extent of damages you might experience in an accident. These factors include the type of car you were driving at the time, the speed the vehicles were going at the time of the crash, and environmental conditions. Whether your accident was minor or extreme, it is your right to pursue legal action for any damages you incurred. Here’s some information to keep in mind as you prepare to make a claim after your collision as provided by Ellis Injury Law.

Filing a Claim After a Car Accident

The claims process is essentially the same after all car accidents, no matter the severity. You must take action immediately following the crash to acquire all necessary documentation to support your claim. An appropriate response following a car accident would follow the guidelines below:

1. Call the police. You must file a police report as soon as possible. Immediate action ensures that all parties involved in the accident are accounted for, and all details of the scene are recorded objectively. Additionally, your recollection of the events will be best immediately following the incident, so it is imperative that you get this information across to an officer right away. This report will be used in building your claim.
2. Report the incident to the DMV.You are legally required to report a car accident to the DMV within a specified timeframe, depending on the state. (In California, for example, the limit is ten days.) If there is any question of consistency in your story of the incident, this report can be used to support your claim as well.
3. Call your auto insurance provider.Before you make the call to the insurer, gather as much evidence as possible from the scene. Take photos and videos of the vehicles and surrounding environment, and take down the personal information of all parties involved. This is critical to filing a claim, as all the recorded details will determine liability and, therefore, your eligibility for compensation. Your insurer is also the one who will decide whether your vehicle has been reparably damaged or is a total loss.

Once you have all this information down and reports filed, you will be ready to file a claim with the help of a car accident lawyer. Still, you must be aware of the types of claims you can make to receive the appropriate compensation.

Types of Damages That Are Eligible for Compensation

In a minor accident, you are most likely to end up filing for the following types of damages:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Property damage

Consult with your car accident lawyer to determine what type of case you should be pursuing. If your injuries were not physical, but you are experiencing severe emotional or psychological distress, perhaps you should not file a claim for medical expenses, but pain and suffering instead. Whether you were unable to return to work due to injuries or schedules for repairs, you can be compensated for lost wages. A car accident lawyer will guide you on what option is best for you, and ensure that you receive precisely the funds you need to return to life as usual

An auto accident can be physically and mentally traumatizing. Aside from the pain, you have to deal with the hassle of filing insurance claims and getting compensation for the losses incurred. But an auto accident lawyer can guide you through this journey. Regardless of the type of accident you have suffered, an auto accident lawyer can help you by directing you through the complexities of the case and insurance claim.

How an Auto Accident Lawyer in Miami will fight for you

1.   Handle the Insurance Company on your behalf

Insurance companies are trained in negotiating insurance claims. They will give you every possible reason to either deny or offer a minimal insurance amount by turning the tables on you and convincing you as the culprit. If you are not skilled in negotiating with insurance authorities, then you might not receive the full value of your claim. However, if hiring an auto attorney can help you put forward your best interests. They will help you in receiving the total compensation that you rightfully deserve. Your auto attorney will:

• Negotiate with the insurance company.
• Manage claim settlements.
• Prepare written and verbal drafts aligned to provide you benefits.
• Help you get the justified compensation you deserve.

2.   Help you Prove Legal Liabilities for Your Injuries

Proving someone else’s negligence in car accidents is real trouble. All parties held in the case are likely to shift blame, thereby making it difficult to find the real culprit. However, an accomplished auto accident lawyer in Miami will find and read through shreds of evidence to catch the person who is responsible behind the accident, and based on it; they will generate a strong argument in your support. Using their expertise in the field an accident lawyer will solve complexities of the case including:

• Gathering accident reports and medical records from medical professionals.
• Consulting doctors for understanding the gravity of injuries and getting them well-documented.
• Recreating crash scene.
• Interviewing witnesses

3.   Help you find the right compensation for Your Injuries

Getting the true value of your claim is another complicated task in a car accident. Insurance companies are already skilled in persuading injury victims to settle at low compensations. However, your lawyer will help you get the true value of the claim without compromising on settlements that do not cover the full extent of your losses. Your lawyer will work selflessly so that remuneration for all damages, including previous as well as upcoming, is paid to you. Your auto accident lawyer will help you get covered for:

• Lost wages and future loss of earnings.
• Previous and future medical bills.
• Compensate for pain and suffering.

4.   Help File Personal Injury Lawsuit 

One of the benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer is that they will handle all legal complications. Moreover, they will advise you and help prepare a legal lawsuit in case if the insurance company refuses to pay you the settled amount. Your lawyer will explore all legal options and help you get the fair compensation that you deserve before taking the case to court. However, if needed, your accident lawyer will always be prepared to move to the court so that you get the best of your interest.

5.   Make you aware of Laws and Regulations that Apply to Your Claim

Your auto accident lawyers are acquainted with all legal terms; thus, they can make sure that the insurance company acts justly. This is especially important in cases where the company fails to do so; then, your lawyer can hold the company legally responsible and obtain the compensation that you deserve. Furthermore, there are specific laws and regulations that only your lawyer knows and can use to your advantage.

Hence, no matter what the circumstances are, you should always contact the trusted auto accident lawyer in Miami. Hiring an accident lawyer will help you get the right insurance claim under a legal process.

You will be surprised to know that every year, the U.S witnesses more than six million car accidents, and that number is increasing. Billions of dollars are being spent on road safety, but the number of road accidents doesn’t seem to be decreasing. Luckily, most of those car accidents involved only property damage, and a minor portion of it resulted in any loss to a civilian. But it would help if you never took your chances as accidents never come with a warning sign, and even a little bit of tweak on the road can land you from that significant portion of property damage to the minor portion of civilian damage.

If you are involved in any car accident, then there are a couple of things that you can do in order to protect yourself and your interest. The following are the top 5 things that you should do after a car accident in order to maximize the chances of fighting your defense and seeking compensation from the insurance company.

Stop and keep the scene protected

Never run away from an accident; it doesn’t matter whether you are the victim or the cause of the accident. Running away from the place of the accident will only weaken the defense for you. In addition to this, you can keep others driving on the same road away from an accident by lighting a flare or just by turning on your dipper. It would help if you always turned on the dipper when you are lying in your car after an accident or waiting on the roadside for help.

Never forget to call the police

You should always call the police after a car accident, regardless of the severity of the injuries. If someone else is responsible for the accident, then you can use the report filed by the police as a document of proof while getting compensation for the loss. You can also use the police report to claim with your car insurance company. A police record contains detailed information regarding the accident, and it is an acceptable and valuable proof of evidence in the courtroom.

Make a proper record

After the arrival of the police on the spot, you should explain what happened on the spot very clearly. If you are not sure about the specific facts of the accident, then you should inform the police about it instead of misleading them. Never assume or guess while explaining the accident to a police officer. In addition to this, you will also need to make sure that the other person involved in the car accident has given the correct statement to the police.

Take pictures

You will also need to take photos of the accident, the car or vehicles involved in the accident, the number plate of the vehicle, the injuries you have suffered. Along with this, you should also take a picture of the road, the climate, and the lighting. All these pictures will strengthen your compensation claim in the court, and you can get expected results from your case. You should also consult a car accident attorney in Orlando in order to file your case correctly and get the justified compensation.

Seek medical attention

There are many cases where injuries don’t appear immediately. In such types of cases, the pain from the injury may appear after one or two days of the accident. This is why, regardless of the pain, you should always seek medical attention as soon as possible in order to avoid any severe injury, becoming a future problem for you.

Car accidents have become very normal, and if you want to keep yourself and your interest protected, then you should always do the above-mentioned things as soon as possible.