According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was an increase in motor vehicle crashes and fatalities in 2021. More than 42,000 people were killed in such crashes that year, which is an increase from the year prior. Of all the kinds of crashes that take place on our roadways, car accidents are causing the most common types of injuries suffered. In most cases, these crashes involve two vehicles, but a large number of cases that involve critical injuries involve motorcyclists and pedestrians.
In a lot of cases, fault and liability aren’t always clear in the immediate aftermath of an accident. It’s always advisable to exchange contact information and insurance details with the other driver if you are able to. While you may want to discuss fault and establish blame at the outset, it’s not a good idea to get into the weeds right away on who caused the accident and any resulting injuries. Conceding blame to a driver or their insurer can even weaken your claim if it is found that you are not to blame for the injuries and the other driver is liable.
Vehicle accidents are often caused by one or more of the following factors:
- Distracted Driving
- Driving While Drunk or Impaired
- Head-On Collisions
- Failure to Yield
- Mechanical Malfunctions
- Defective Vehicles/Parts
- Aggressive Driving
- Chain Reactions/Multi-Vehicle Pile-Ups
- Teen/Inexperienced Driving
If you’ve been involved in an accident there are several key measures you should take to protect your rights and ability to recover damages should there be a need to in the future. However, first and foremost is the need to seek medical attention. It is important for a number of reasons, chief of all being the preservation of your health and life. Furthermore, courts place a dim eye on injuries that could have been prevented by reasonable actions. It is incumbent upon the injured party to limit damages in the long run, and part of doing that means ensuring your injuries don’t unnecessarily worsen simply because you didn’t do what was reasonable and seek immediate medical care following the accident.
(How to Navigate Personal Injury Claims Resulting from Teen Drivers)
Once you have, however, received medical care, it’s important to:
- Ensure you have documentation of your medical injuries and care
- Secure a police report from the accident
- Track down any witnesses and/or photos from the accident, if possible
Of course, it’s vitally important that you seek counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney who can negotiate on your behalf with an insurer, whose primary goal is to limit its losses. Taking the first offer often leaves compensation on the table, compensation you may need to fully recover and get on with your life.
Bizzieri Law Offices has a long track record of success in car accident personal injury claims. We work tirelessly to negotiate the highest settlements to which our clients are entitled. In each case, we advocate for our client to ensure all possible damages are recovered. If you have questions about filing a personal injury claim, call our offices today at 773.881.9000. We can help.