As victims of automobile accidents know, there are many decisions ahead of you, such as deciding on the treatment for your injuries, whether to sue the person at fault, and how to deal with lost income and the inability to care for your family.

 

 

Although automobile accidents aren’t top of mind for most people, it doesn’t hurt to know the odds. According to the Canadian Bar Association, three out of ten workers between ages 25 and 65 will have to deal with an accident or extended illness that will keep them out of work for three or more months.

 

The impact of dealing with a car accident can be catastrophic. You may experience pain and limited or lost mobility. There’s also the financial fallout. You may not be able to work for an extended period of time; in fact a family member may lose work hours as well if you need additional help around the house.

 

The stress of dealing with pain, along with the burden of trying to support your family while injured, can be overwhelming after an automobile accident. Contacting a law firm that has experience in dealing with automobile accident victims can help remove some of that stress. A lawyer can take care of speaking to the driver’s insurance company, all the legal paperwork, and can make court appearances on your behalf.

 

 

The first step is to take care of yourself. See a doctor immediately after the accident. If you feel any pain, don’t try to soldier through it. There could be a serious injury or one with long-term implications, such as a back injury that could haunt you for years to come.

 

If you’ve been injured, you should contact a personal injury lawyer. An experienced lawyer can deal with the paperwork and the legal aspects of your recovery, leaving you free to focus on healing.

 

If you are claiming accident benefits, an insurance adjuster will want to meet with you to discuss the accident and your injuries. You aren’t obligated to talk to the insurance adjuster from the at-fault individual’s insurance company; however, if you do speak to an adjuster, remember that everything you say will go into your file and may affect your claim. The best course of action is to speak to a lawyer before talking to an adjuster. After all, the adjuster has years of experience, and it’s his or her job to try and reduce the amount of money the insurance company has to pay out. This may be your first time talking to an insurance adjuster, making it an unbalanced conversation. A lawyer can give you advice or even pass along any information the adjuster needs, so you don’t have to talk to them at all.

 

You may be worried about making a claim if you’ve been injured in an accident. If you’re not at fault, making a claim shouldn’t have an impact on your insurance rate.

 

Automobile accidents are stressful enough without having to worry about handling the legal paperwork and talking to insurance adjusters. Victims of car accidents should contact a lawyer as quickly as possible to ensure that all is done to strengthen their future accident claims.