Car accidents happen every day and given the mileage we cover it is likely that we will all have a car wreck during our driving career. There is never a good time to have a car wreck, but when it does happen it pays to be prepared and understand how an attorney can help you in what is likely to be a traumatic and challenging experience.

 

An experienced personal injury attorney can assist you in claiming your full entitlement under the law for compensation and benefits. Accident victims are rarely in a position to take on an insurance company and do not understand their rights, which means they rarely are able to get the compensation they are entitled to. Once you have an attorney handling the affair, the insurance company will understand they have no choice but to fulfill their obligations, which means you are likely to get paid faster and to the fullest extent.

 

Many accidents are fortunately not serious, amounting to nothing more than a fender bender, however even in these minor incidents injuries can and do occur. Neck and back injuries are commonplace, with the effects not being immediately felt until time has elapsed. No matter how minor the wreck, it is important that you get yourself and fellow passengers checked out medically as soon as possible.

 

Always keep pen and paper in the car so you can take down information, such as contact and insurance details from the other party, or make a diagram of the crash scene and note the driving conditions. For instance, did the car wreck take place at night or during the day, was it raining, snowing or dry road conditions, or was there any other factors at work, such as a pedestrian crossing the road or another vehicle which caused the collision but left unscathed. Remember the five wise men – Who, What, When, Where and Why – who was involved, what happened, when (time), exactly where did this take place and to the best of your understanding, why did the incident occur.

 

Do not admit responsibility or guilt at the scene of the wreck, as this may impact your insurance coverage and cause you to lose your right to benefits and compensation later. In any event, you are not likely to be in a fit mental state to make a judgment call and you will not have the full picture to hand. Is the other driver impaired, what is there accident history, is the vehicle they are driving impaired in some fashion which could have led to the collision being avoided and so on. You should leave such declarations and statements to your attorney, though you should cooperate with the authorities as they gather information on the accident and share contact and insurance information with the other side.