Car accidents are incredibly dangerous. And unfortunately, they are a common occurrence in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 1 car crash occurred every minute in 2019, and that rate does not seem to be slowing down any time soon.
If you find yourself involved in a car crash, there will be many things running through your head. “What do I do?” “How much is this going to cost?” “Can I afford to go see a doctor?” Not only are accidents dangerous, dealing with accidents can be incredibly stressful. But one way to deal with that stress is to have a list of things to do, a list of things to accomplish that you can focus on. And by following the steps on your list, you can avoid the stresses of an accident, and you can return to your life as it was before the accident.
Take pictures.
The entire process of dealing with car accidents requires evidence. And there is no better evidence than photographic evidence. If you are involved in an accident you will not remember every detail. That is why it is important to take pictures of the accident.
There are two types of pictures you should try to take: detail pictures, and scenic pictures.
Detail pictures capture exactly that: details. Take close-up pictures of your vehicle, the other party’s vehicle, the points of impact, anything that may have ended up on the floor. Take medium distance shots of the area of your vehicle that was damaged, of the area between the two vehicles, of the area of the other party’s vehicle that was damaged. Take wide shots of your entire vehicle and of the other party’s vehicle.
Scenic pictures capture the environment surrounding the accident: The location of the accident, the weather at the time of the accident, the traffic on the road. All this information can be useful when recovering for not only vehicle damage, but also bodily injury.
Make a police report.
A lot of people do not want to involve the police in their accidents. There is fear of escalating the matter far beyond what is necessary. But the purpose of a police report is not to involve the police, nor is it to have the other party arrested for the crash. The purposes of the police report are 1) to provide evidence for you claim, and 2) to gather information from the other party.
Again, dealing with accidents requires evidence. And while pictures are great, so are police reports. Police reports generally include two very useful items.
First, police reports include a police officer’s description of the events of the accident. The police officer will speak to you and the other party and write out the events of the accident and who is at fault.
Second, police reports include a birds-eye view image of the accident. This includes images of both vehicles that help visualize what occurred. If taking pictures is the best way for you to collect evidence, police reports is the best way to collect evidence from someone else.
Police reports also serve to gather the information from the other party that was involved in the accident. All the information in a police report will help with the final step.
Seek medical attention.
Accidents are dangerous, and it is unlikely that you would be involved in one without suffered some kind of injury. It is important to seek medical attention, even if you believe you may not have been injured, to avoid the possibility of your injury worsening over time.
If you are concerned about the cost of seeking medical attention, do not worry. The final step of this list will ensure that the party responsible for the accident pays for your medical expenses.
Even if you would not be able to afford your medical expenses, do not worry. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer can provide you with the assurance that your medical expenses will be covered. Kenny Perez Law has a network of doctors across the great State of Texas ready to make sure you are healthy.
File your claim.
This fourth and final step is the most important, besides seeking medical attention. This step is what will allow you to repair your vehicle, obtain a rental to use while your vehicle is getting repaired, be compensated for not being able to use your vehicle, and afford the medical attention you need to treat your injuries.
Filing your claim is important and you must do it in a timely manner, but DO NOT DO IT HASTILY. You will need advice and help when approaching and dealing with insurance companies that employ dozens of lawyers to avoid paying for accidents like yours. You should not face those companies on your own.
Instead, you should rely on the experience of Kenny Perez Law to handle filing your claim and monitoring the progress of your claim through to completion. While filing your claim may be the final necessary step after a car accident, it will create more issues that require attention. Attention that would distract you from seeking medical attention, focusing on your work, and trying to get back to living as you did before your accident. Attention that will only add to the stresses of being in a car accident.
Kenny Perez Law can bear that stress for you. We fight everyday for our clients and treat our client like they are our family.
This list is meant to minimize the stresses of being in a car accident. And the best way to minimize that stress is to let Kenny Perez Law handle the third, most important, most stressful step for you. That way, you can move past your car accident and return to your life before this dangerous, potentially life-altering event. When you need a lawyer that fights for you, when you need a Brownsville lawyer you need Kenny Perez Law—a law firm you can trust.
