If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision while driving in Missouri, you may have a difficult time concentrating on preserving evidence and protecting your liability claim because you are stressed out and suffering from debilitating pain. However, the conduct of an auto accident victim in the immediate aftermath a collision can have a significant impact on the success of a personal injury lawsuit both in terms of obtaining a judgment and maximizing the amount of the monetary recovery. Most people involved in motor vehicle accidents do not anticipate that they will need to think about filing a claim so it is easy to make a critical mistake. Our experienced Missouri car accident attorney at Hubbard & Kurtz, LLP have provided some tips for how to proceed in the aftermath of a car accident.
Medical Treatment of Injuries: Many Missouri auto accident victims underestimate the severity of the injuries they suffer. Because they experience what appears to be nothing more than minor symptoms, these accident victims either delay seeking medical attention or sometimes do not seek a physician at all. This can be a devastating mistake both in terms of one’s health and personal injury recovery. When prompt medical treatment and diagnostic analysis is not obtained, the medical outcome for the personal injury victim can be compromised. An example might include internal bleeding where the severity of the injury only becomes obvious after time elapses. Because insurance companies often defend car accident lawsuits by claiming that the injuries are being overstated or that the injuries originate from a cause other than the collision, the decision to obtain prompt medical care can help build a foundation for your personal injury lawsuit.
Avoiding the Loss of Evidence: While the police will investigate a car accident and prepare a law enforcement accident report, the accident report does not always accurately document all of the facts or provide an accurate conclusion about liability or fault. Our Missouri car accident lawyers do not simply accept the conclusions of the accident report but look at the evidence with “fresh eyes.” We consider key facts like the position of the vehicles, vehicle damage, skid marks and other evidence to determine the best way to effectively represent our clients. If you get witnesses contact information, take photos with your cell phone and jot down notes about key information, our attorneys who work closely with accident reconstruction experts can analyze this information to develop persuasive theories of liability.
Do Not Discuss Your Case: We live in an age where people live very public lives, which include posting even mundane events on social media sites like Facebook. When you are involved in personal injury litigation, the best practice is not to discuss your car accident claim with anyone with the exception of your attorney. If you post information on your Facebook page, you should presume that the other driver’s insurance company will see these posts and exploit the information to harm your case if possible. A growing number of injury victims have seen their injury lawsuits compromised by social media posts. If the other driver’s insurance company attempts to contact you or obtain a statement, you should not speak to the insurance company directly or agree to a recorded statement.
If you or someone you love is injured or a family member dies in a Missouri drunken driving accident, we urge you to contact us if you have questions. Our experienced Missouri DUI car accident injury attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, LLP work diligently to obtain financial compensation for our clients’ injuries so contact us toll free at (877) 535-1163 to see how we can help!