What Should I Do In The Days Following A Car Accident?

Michigan roads can be treacherous, especially during the winter. An average of 300,000 car accidents happen yearly in Michigan, injuring approximately 72,000 people, with around 1,000 people losing their lives.

If you sustain injuries or a loved one loses their life in a car collision, the following days and weeks will likely present many challenges. The Mike Morse Law Firm can help you overcome them.

What Comes First?

Automobile accidents happen quickly. One second, you’re driving to the store; the next, another vehicle hits yours. This collision may have injured you and damaged your car. Shock and adrenaline often make thinking about what you should do challenging. Keep this list handy.

Mike Morse and his team want you to focus on your health first and foremost, but you should also consider that you probably need to file insurance claims. Your actions at the accident scene can solidify or damage your case.

Stop, But Don’t Leave

Move your car out of the traffic flow, if possible, but remain at the crash scene. Unless you believe that staying might cause you further harm, leaving an accident site before the police arrive may be considered a hit-and-run. If you feel unsafe, head to the closest police department to report the collision.

Render Reasonable Assistance

Check yourself for injuries first, but then offer to help others. Michigan law requires you to provide reasonable assistance if your physical condition allows you to do so.

Dial 911

If someone is injured in your accident or property damage is likely to exceed $1,000, you must report your crash to the police. Property damage doesn’t only include your vehicle; it also means belongings you’re wearing or are in the car with you, such as clothing and your phone.

It’s best to call the police regardless. The responding officer will make an official report. You’ll need to obtain a copy of it for your insurance claim or lawsuit.

Use Your Phone

Because you’re at the scene when the crash happened, you have the opportunity to take pictures or record videos of the conditions. Capture things like:

• The whole accident scene
• Injuries
• Property damage
• Witness statements and other conversations
• Weather and lighting conditions
• Skid marks

Your Mike Morse Law Firm attorney will use them when building your case.

Allow Paramedics To Examine You

Your health is your most important consideration. You need an immediate medical assessment to identify your injuries; some may not be visible. If paramedics don’t come to your accident scene, go to a hospital emergency room, doctor, or clinic when you leave.

Your medical evaluation report is an essential piece of evidence to prove that your injuries resulted from your collision.

Contact Your Insurance Company

You should always notify your insurance carrier if you’re involved in a wreck. Check your policy to see how long you have to contact them. Your car accident lawyer can take care of this for you if you prefer.

Call a Car Accident Attorney

Most personal injury law firms, including the Mike Morse Law Firm, offer free case evaluations. Take advantage of this opportunity to see if you have a case, how much it’s worth, and how the attorney can assist you.

Although you could wait to contact us, don’t wait too long. Michigan has statutes of limitations that set deadlines for filing a civil lawsuit related to your crash. Typically, you’ll have three years from the date of the accident to file suit. That time is much shorter if you need to take legal action against a government entity. If you miss the deadline,

Most auto accident claims settle without needing a trial, but the settlement negotiations process can take time. Even the best attorneys need time to investigate your accident thoroughly and gather evidence. Waiting too long to contact the Mike Morse Law Firm can be costly.

What Happens Next?

Car accidents typically affect you long after you leave the scene. You may need an extended hospital stay, rehabilitation, and significant time away from work. These combine to create financial difficulties for many injured accident victims.

You may be hospitalized or making funeral arrangements for a family member, but there are several other things you need to accomplish. When you choose the Mike Morse Law Firm, we can take care of many of them for you.

Continue Medical Treatments

Follow your physician’s orders and recommendations. You need to recover from your injuries. Discontinuing them may harm you physically, but it can also weaken your car accident claim.

Keep Records

There is much paperwork to deal with after an auto accident. From police reports, insurance claims, legal documents, and car repair quotes to medical bills and receipts, you’ll need to keep everything. It’s best to keep everything in one place. Your collection will grow as your case progresses, and your Mike Morse Law Firm attorney will need copies.

Designate Your Lawyer as Your Representative

You may not be in any condition to do the legwork required in the days and weeks after your collision. You can legally designate your attorney to do some things for you. We can:

• Obtain copies of your police report and medical records
• Speak to insurance company representatives on your behalf
• Use our negotiation skills to seek a favorable settlement offer

When you hire the Mike Morse Law Firm, we will take as much of your burden away from you as we can. You focus on recovering; we’ll do the heavy lifting.

Stay in Touch With Your Attorney

As your case progresses, you’ll need to get updates and answers to any questions or concerns. You may also need to report new developments with your health, job, finances, car repairs, or other pertinent information. Discuss with your attorney how you’ll receive updates and what information they need from you.

Heed Your Lawyer’s Advice

Mike Morse and his team have your best interests in mind. We offer many kinds of advice to our clients, including things you should avoid after your accident. Don’t:

• Admit to any degree of fault
• Make social media posts
• Sign any documents before we review them
• Speak to insurance company representatives (other than those from your carrier) without us being present

Insurance companies don’t like paying claims and will likely try to minimize their payments to you. You may unknowingly damage your claim if you do any of the actions we just mentioned.

Trials are costly and take a substantial amount of time. Unfortunately, some insurance companies refuse to negotiate fairly or deny your claim outright. If that happens, your lawyer may recommend filing a civil lawsuit to recover compensation for your damages.

Your Mike Morse Law Firm attorney won’t suggest a lawsuit without good reasons, but we won’t hesitate to recommend it if we believe it’s in your best interests.

Why Should You Call Mike Morse Injury Law Firm?

Since Mike Morse founded our firm in 1985, we have grown to become Michigan’s largest personal injury law firm. We have decades of experience successfully handling car accident and wrongful death claims, winning over $1.5 billion for our satisfied clients and earning a five-star Google rating.

You won’t pay us unless we win compensation in your case, and we will work hard to ensure that you receive it. Contact the Mike Morse Law Firm 24/7 to request your initial case review. Call 855-MIKE-WINS or (855) 645-3946, reach out via live chat, use our quick contact form, or email us.