What Should I Expect the First Few Days Following an Accident?

Car accidents are a far too common occurrence in the state of Oregon. There were 28,397 accidents with injuries in the state in 2017 and 403 deaths in that same year. Our city is famous for its fabulous bike paths, but you have to ride in traffic to get to most of them. 2017 saw 764 accidents involving bikes.

When you have been injured in an accident, you can expect a lot of physical pain, time missed off of work and communications with the other driver, the police and your insurance company. You should also talk to car accident lawyer Derek Johnson because he can negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf.

What Will Happen at the Scene? 

When you are involved in an accident with injuries, you should always call the police and wait for them to arrive at the scene. They will fill out an accident report and they will ask you many questions. If you do not remember something, you should simply tell them that you do not remember. Most attorneys will tell you that you should never admit to guilt. Even though you may think it was all your fault, there may be details of which you are unaware. 

Be sure to exchange contact and insurance information with every driver that was involved in the accident. Get the names of any witnesses that were at the scene and take pictures if you can.

Medical Care 

If you are injured in an accident, the law enforcement officer at the scene will likely ask you if you would like an ambulance. Even if you do not accept the ride, it is a good idea to have yourself checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. If you wait to go to the doctor's office, the amount of your insurance settlement offer may be reduced. The insurance company may well try to argue that your injuries may have worsened because you neglected to go to the doctor. 

Be sure to save copies of all of your medical bills including those for alternative forms of treatment. You should also save all of your receipts for both prescription and nonprescription drugs. Be sure to get a letter from your employer on company stationery detailing all the hours you have missed from work. If you are self-employed, determine approximately how many hours of work you have missed and write a letter yourself.

Calling Your Insurance Company

If you are a law-abiding driver in the state of Oregon, you have Personal Injury Protection. Your PIP should pay for your medical bills up to the first $15,000 or the amount for which you are covered. Although PIP is mandatory in Oregon, it is still considered an at-fault state. Hence, the person responsible for the accident will have to pay the bills after the first $15,000.

When you call your insurance company they will ask if they can record you, but you are under no obligation to let them. Never let them pressure you into saying you remember anything about the accident that you do not. 

The company will then call you back and tell you if they have accepted or denied your claim. If they have accepted your claim they will make you a settlement offer. At this time, you want to contact a personal injury attorney who can advise you as to whether or not the offer is fair.

Having an accident is stressful and painful, but with the right lawyer, it will not be expensive.

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