You make every effort to stay safe on the road. You know the traffic laws and regulations and you follow them to the letter. You drive to survive. You put the well-being of your passengers and other drivers first when you get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, this is not a belief adhered to by everyone. Some drivers are so dangerous that they should have their license taken away. If you have been hurt in a car accident caused by a reckless driver, you should know your legal rights and you should do everything you can to pursue them. A Los Angeles car accident personal injury lawyer can give you the counsel you need to make this happen.

What You Should Do After a Car Accident

Some car accidents occur so quickly that the persons involved are literally unable to see them coming. These are the worst kinds of collisions because they make it impossible for you to take any sort of action that may mitigate the resulting damage and injury. If you have been in such an accident, you will be thrown into a state of confusion and shock. Once you have recovered your senses, you should do the following:

1. Remain calm and at the scene

It is illegal to leave an accident. You must remain until the police have taken your statement and released you.

2. Check yourself

Lack of pain does not mean lack of injury. The shock of the accident can cause certain nerves in your body to go numb, which may leave you without the sensation of pain.

3. Call emergency services

Do this as soon as you can. Answer all the operator’s questions with the maximum amount of precision and clarity.

4. Get driver info

When you speak to the driver of the other vehicle, your primary purpose should be to get their personal details and insurance information. You need not discuss who caused the accident. Keep what you observed to yourself until the appropriate time. This will help maintain calm and civility.

5. Speak to witnesses

You should talk to those who witnessed the accident. There will always be people who are eager to tell you what they saw. Speak to them first. Write down what they say. Most importantly, get their names and contact information.

6. Go to the hospital

If you are not a trained physician, you cannot assess your condition. Either take yourself to the hospital or get an ambulance ride there. You should be examined and evaluated by a medical professional. If your scrapes and bruises from the accident are obvious, then you should photograph them before getting them cared for.

7. Gather documents
Make sure you get copies of all medical documents related to your examination and treatment. You should also write down what you remember about the accident.

8. Call a lawyer

The first person you speak to should be a lawyer. As you heal, you need to start thinking about money—that is, the money owed to you by the person who caused the accident. You should speak to a nearby car accident lawyer before speaking to your insurer or anyone else. They will help guide you through the process of getting just compensation.

Why You Should Hire an Attorney

If it is established that the recklessness of the other driver caused the accident, their insurance company will be liable for it. The main aim of the driver’s insurance company will be to minimize the amount of money they must pay out. Their initial offer will be a relatively small one. You should not respond to the offer until your auto injury lawyer has had a chance to look at and ecaluate the deal. In fact, you should leave all communication and negotiation with the insurance company to your attorney. They have the experience and insight to tell a good settlement offer from a bad one. And you don’t want to mistakenly say or do anything that could hurt your chances for a large settlement.

If your injuries are relatively light, it may be a good idea to take the money offered to you. Your lawyer will probably advise you to do so if the sum covers your medical expenses and the wages you’ve missed while out of work. If your injuries are more serious than that, if you must undergo extensive medical treatment, then you will need more money and your lawyer will demand it of the insurance company. If the insurer refuses to yield, then your auto injury lawyer will file a lawsuit on your behalf.

The Consequences of a Serious Accident

A serious accident will inevitably lead to serious injury. If you are seriously injured in a car accident, you might need to undergo a number of painful operations—the kind of operations that require months to recover from. All the while you will be unable to earn money. Your finances will be strained, and things will be even worse if you encounter complications on the road to recovery. If you sustained a permanent disability as a result of the accident, you may be required to give up your job. Indeed, you may lose your job anyway if you are out of work for too long.

You should not be forced to get through such a difficult period without help. The best personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles can help you get the money you deserve.

What Your Lawyer Will Do

West Coast Trial Lawyers have the skill and experience to help people fight for the money they are owed by big insurance company. The first thing you should know is that you will not be alone in the fight for adequate and fair compensation for what you’ve been through. The best personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles will be able to gather the facts, introduce the relevant evidence, and bring to bear the right elements of law to get you the kind of settlement that will help ease the burden of your injuries.

Your attorney will send their own private investigators to the scene of the crash to gather more evidence. Such investigators will also re-interview witnesses to the crash. This may include witnesses never interviewed by police. Some people don’t like talking to cops, but they have no problem telling a private investigator what they know. With your help, the investigator working your case will track down these witnesses and speak to them. This may lead to the uncovering of facts that help your case. One of them may have captured the accident on their phone camera, which can shore up your version of events.

Your lawyer will also bring in auto accident reconstruction accidents. These professionals can use the evidence left at the scene to develop a simulation of what took place before the crash and the crash itself. Your attorney will also get statements from medical professionals that explain how you sustained your injuries and the harmful effects they have had on you.

If you have been in a car accident, you need a tough, dedicated, and intelligent legal advocate to fight your corner. Calling West Coast Trial Lawyers will help you examine your legal options so that you can make a decision on legal action.