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When you’re in a car accident, you shouldn’t wait to contact your Oklahoma auto accident case attorney for a vehicle accident. As soon as you file the necessary police reports and contact your insurance company, you should find a reputable accident attorney to represent you.
Attorneys from the law firm of Bryan Garrett, PLLC, describe the steps you should take after an accident, including the kinds of injuries you may incur, and the types of compensation you can pursue. Learn more about how accident lawyers help crash victims against insurance companies who will always seek to minimize compensation.
What To Do After an Accident
After an accident, your first concern should be determining whether anyone needs immediate medical help. Call 911 to request an ambulance if necessary. Emergency dispatchers will also call police to the scene to take statements for the police report. While you wait for the police, take photos of the damage to all vehicles involved and pictures of nearby skid marks, debris trails, broken curbs, and other evidence from the accident.
Be sure to get contact information from any witnesses in the area. Also, trade information with any other drivers involved in the accident. Get their names, insurance information, and phone numbers. Once you have all the crash details, contact your insurance company to give notice of the accident and open a claim. You may opt to contact an Oklahoma car accident attorney before or after you contact the insurance company.
Also know what you should never do after an accident, including:
- Leaving the scene or allowing the other driver to leave the scene
- Admitting fault for the accident or implying fault
- Signing anything from an insurance company
- Allowing the insurance adjuster to take a recorded statement
- Hiding facts from your attorney about the accident
- Discussing your accident on social media
- Accepting a settlement offer before speaking with an attorney
Common Injuries After a Car Crash
Car accident lawyers know that injuries can show up days or weeks after a car accident and can be serious or life-threatening. Know the signs when looking for common injuries that victims can sustain in car accidents, including:
- Cuts, scrapes, or bruises
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Brain or spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash or back injuries
- Amputation
- Internal bleeding
- Wrongful death
An Accident Attorney Can Help You Seek Fair Compensation for Your Injuries
If you intend to seek the maximum compensation for your case, you will need an experienced accident attorney to reconstruct the events of the accident, get witness statements, find surveillance videos from nearby businesses, and perform a thorough investigation of the opposing counsel’s evidence during discovery.
You might be able to seek economic, non-economic, and punitive damages in your case. Economic damages include medical expenses and lost wages, which have a real, calculable value. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering and losing the ability to contribute to household tasks, which have no real monetary value. The court will assign a value to these damages.
Punitive damages are additional non-compensatory damages that the court may award to punish a negligent driver for being particularly reckless or intentional in their actions that led to causing the crash and your injuries.
Oklahoma follows a modified comparative fault model for compensation awards. If the court finds you partly negligent for your injuries up to 50 percent, it will reduce your award by the amount that the court determines you have contributed to your injuries.
Call the Law Office of Bryan Garrett, PLLC, for Your Oklahoma Auto Accident Case
To find an Oklahoma attorney for a vehicle accident, call our law firm at Bryan Garrett, PLLC, in Central Oklahoma at 405-369-7723, or contact us online and schedule a free initial consultation.
