Injury Attorney Protecting Your Rights

What should you do after an accident?

If you were injured as a result of someone else's negligence, there are important steps you must take to protect your rights. Failing to take some or all of these steps may weaken or limit your ability to recover the compensation you are entitled to for your injuries—and, very often, time is of the essence. If some of these steps are not taken right away, they may never be able to be taken again, and key evidence may be lost forever. Please read the steps below and contact us to ensure your rights are protected every step of the way.

Steps to Follow

The first thing you must do after an accident is provide a factual, unbiased statement to police officials. In most car accident cases, an officer will arrive on the scene to collect statements, but in most other situations, you must make an effort to provide one yourself. Insurance companies rely heavily on these statements in order to determine liability. Be careful, deliberate and accurate when providing any statement to police. Any ambiguous statements could be misconstrued and used against you in case of a dispute over liability.

It is also extremely important that you get medical attention immediately after an accident, even if you do not think you have been seriously injured. You may be in shock, which prevents you from realizing your injuries. Even if you are not in shock, signs or symptoms of injury may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks after an accident. By seeing a doctor, you can determine whether or not you are injured and obtain documentation of the extent of your injury.

Shortly after an accident, insurance company adjusters and investigators typically attempt to contact the injured victim(s). They do this because they know that as soon you hire an attorney, the attorney will not allow them to speak to you. Instead, these adjusters and investigators will have to speak and deal with your personal injury attorney. The insurance companies do not want this because they want to speak with you without your having a personal injury attorney protecting your interests. As a result, do not give any statements, whether recorded or unrecorded, to any insurance company representative, regardless of whether the insurance company is the responsible party's company or is yours, before speaking with a Coral Gables personal injury lawyer.

It is also extremely important that you keep detailed records of all expenses related to your accident if you hope to gain compensation for them. This includes doctor's visits, prescriptions, medical bills, mileage to and from appointments, and receipts for damage repairs. To make sure you know exactly what documentation you will need, hire a Coral Gables injury attorney to counsel and guide you through the process.

Contact Mesa Law Firm

At Mesa Law Firm, we pride ourselves on the relationships we build with our clients. Should you retain our firm, we will treat you like family and work diligently and expeditiously to maximize the recovery for your personal injury. Our founding attorney, Joseph A. "Tony" Mesa, III, has received high honors from Super Lawyers®, Florida Trend Legal Elite and Avvo ®, and would be happy to speak with you regarding your personal injury case. To learn more about how we could help you get the compensation you deserve, call our offices today.

Contact a Coral Gables personal injury attorney from our firm for the experienced legal representation you need.