Have You Recently Been Injured in a Car Accident in East St. Louis?
If you have been injured in a car accident in East St. Louis, you might consider the option of hiring an attorney with plenty of experience filing the necessary paperwork and claims and negotiating with the car insurance adjuster. If you’re thinking about filing a lawsuit, you may want to discuss your case with a lawyer who can tell you about your rights and the options available to you at this critical time. An attorney will be able to help guide you through what might otherwise be a very stressful, confusing legal process; plus, they’ll know about the detailed nuances in the law in your specific area.
What Should You Do If You Have a Car Accident?
Any time you are involved in a vehicle crash, the first thing you should do in those chaotic minutes following the collision is made
sure that you are safe, free from any further accident or injury; usually, the best way to accomplish this is to stay in your car, but if that’s not your situation, move as far away from danger as is reasonable. If you’re able and willing to do so, you can help others find safety as well, either by encouraging them to stay in their cars or to seek shelter on the side of the road.
If anyone has been injured, call 911 as soon as possible; when talking to an emergency dispatcher, try to maintain composure and stay calm. Report the necessary details to the best of your knowledge and ability – state your name, location, and situation; it can be helpful if you also leave a way for the authorities to contact you, whether you were involved in the accident or are just a witness to it. If you have been injured, and emergency medical personnel come to the scene of the accident, you should have them check you out; this can help support any claims you make regarding personal injury due to the accident.
Be Prepared
Nobody plans or wants to be involved in a car crash, but the sad fact is that many of us will go through the experience at one or point or another – sometimes multiple times. The best thing you can do for yourself and others is to be prepared. Here is a list of items to keep in your car that will come in handy in the event of a car accident:
- A copy of your car insurance information
- Some paper and a pen
- A fully stocked first aid kit
- A camera (or a mobile phone that can take pictures)
Watch What You Say, but Get the Information You’ll Need
Regardless of the circumstances of the crash, make sure you refrain from apologizing, as it may be used as evidence in court that you admitted fault. In fact, limit your communication with other drivers to just getting the required information, such as contact and insurance information. Specifically, you’ll need the following information about the other driver(s) when filing a claim with your car insurance company:
- Contact information (i.e., name, phone number, address, and email address)
- Car information (i.e., year, make, model, and license plate number)
- Insurance information (i.e., carrier and policy number)
If law enforcement arrives on scene and plans to make an accident report, you should also get the officer’s name, phone number, badge number, and police report number. Having this information will make it much easier to get a copy of the report once it’s completed.
Filing A Claim in Illinois
The first step in filing a car accident claim is to contact your car insurance company; that starts the process. If you’re filing a claim for compensation for your injuries, make sure to document any costs you incurred or paid for the injures caused by the accident (such as copays and medication). Remember that some injuries will have long-lasting repercussions, making your daily life much more difficult or even limit your ability to earn a living. In some cases, you might want to consider seeking compensation for loss of future earnings; it could dramatically increase the amount of money you’ll be awarded. You’ll discuss this as well as some of the following details of your case with an attorney when you have your free consultation:
- Is anyone contesting fault for the accident? Responsible parties don’t always see it that way, and even though law enforcement and other drivers and witnesses view them as the one who caused the crash, the at-fault party has the right to contest.
- Were you injured? To what degree? Your injuries may be solved with a band-aid and some medication, or you may have suffered some traumatic brain injury with lasting, permanent, life-altering damage that may greatly impact your quality of life.
- What impact will this accident have on your finances, now and into the future? Depending on the specifics of your case, you may be eligible to file for compensation for hospital and other medical expenses as well as any earning you may have or will lose. If your injuries caused your absence from work or your inability to continue in the same job or line of employment you’re trained for, you might consider seeking compensation for those losses.
- Will you have to go to court? Even a very experienced attorney won’t be able to tell you definitively whether your case will go to trial; rest assured that your attorney will do their best to get you the compensation you deserve, whether that involves an out-of-court settlement or a court trial.
Call to Schedule a Free Consultation Today
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in East St. Louis, call toll-free at 844-307-7349 to talk to an experienced lawyer with Walton Telken Foster today. The consultation is free, and you’ll be able to find out about your rights and options; you have nothing to lose. Call today!
