If you are injured in a car accident in Ohio, it is important to make your own health and wellbeing a priority. Take precautions to prevent further injury, and ensure you are safe before trying to get out of your vehicle. If your injuries may be serious and your car is in a safe location, stay put until first responders arrive.
When the paramedics arrive, let them evaluate your condition and tell them about any pain or potential injuries you may have. Try to stay calm while they tend to any wounds.
After an Ohio car accident, take the following steps to protect your health and right to compensation:
Get Medical Care as Soon as Possible for Any Injury at All
We recommend letting first responders transport you to a local emergency department from the scene, but you can also drive yourself to a local ER, visit a walk-in clinic, or see your primary care physician within a few hours or a day or two of the crash.
Even if you do not believe you suffered significant injuries, you should let paramedics check you over at the scene and see a doctor as soon as possible to be sure. Some injuries are not always apparent immediately. Internal bleeding and traumatic brain injuries often do not show symptoms until hours, days, or even weeks later.
Getting care as soon as possible not only helps identify any emergent medical concerns, but it documents your injuries and ties them to the accident. Without this type of record, you may have a problem recovering compensation for your injuries later.
Collect Evidence If Your Injuries Are Minor
If you suffered relatively minor injuries, you can use the time while you wait for first responders to do a little detective work. It will help you later on if you can collect evidence at the crash scene.
You may want to consider:
- Taking pictures of all vehicles and any damage done
- Documenting the accident scene with your camera
- Getting the name and contact information of any witnesses
- Getting the insurance information from other drivers involved
- Taking photos of any injuries you suffered
Watch What You Say About the Accident
Once you have left the scene of the accident, you will likely receive a call from the other party’s insurer asking about the accident. Be careful what you say during this call as the insurer can use what you say against you. A car accident lawyer can manage communication for you to ensure you do not say anything to jeopardize your right to compensation.
Reach Out to an Ohio Car Accident Attorney to Discuss Your Case
Ohio law only gives the victims of car accidents two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit to try to collect compensation. For this reason — and because evidence can begin disappearing within minutes of an accident — we recommend contacting an Ohio car accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.
We cannot file an insurance claim or injury lawsuit until we understand the nature and severity of your injuries and have a good idea of your future and ongoing care costs. However, we can begin collecting evidence of negligence and liability, proving the other driver was at fault for the accident.
As a part of this process, we may:
- Call in a survey team to document the scene of the crash
- Get copies of the police report and other documents
- Look for any available video of the accident
- Review witness statements and conduct additional interviews if necessary
- Enlist the help of accident reconstruction specialists
- Work with medical experts to understand how your injuries have affected and will continue to affect you
- Collect bills, receipts, and other documents to track your accident-related expenses and losses
We can handle your case on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay us no attorney’s fees unless and until we recover compensation for you.
Contact Bressman Law About Your Ohio Car Accident Case
Attorney David Bressman and the team from Bressman Law provide personalized service to every client. We can help you understand your options for compensation after an Ohio car accident and guide you through the process of trying to recover the payout you deserve. We can answer any questions you may have and address all your concerns.
Call us today at (614) 538-1116 for your free consultation with a member of our team.
