After a serious car crash, you need medical help and legal help. While medical bills rack up and you can’t work because of your injuries, you need someone in your corner to help you know what your case is worth, organize evidence, and file your claims.
We have many years of experience as litigators, and we fight to get our clients the damages they deserve. If the insurance companies are going to undercut your damages and block you from getting the money you and your family need, we will see them in court.
Call The Reiff Law Firm’s car accident lawyers at (215) 709-6940 for help with your claim.
What is the Process for Filing a Car Accident Claim in Slatington, PA?
Make sure to follow these steps to start your case on the right foot:
Report the Accident
Any time a car crash involves death, any injuries, or serious vehicle damage, you have to report it to the police. Call 911 to do so.
Get Medical Care
Also request an ambulance so that you can be evaluated and, if needed, get a ride to the hospital. Follow through with all treatment you need.
If you did not have any immediately obvious injuries, but something like whiplash appears the next day, go to the hospital.
Build Your Case
We can help you collect evidence, talk to witnesses, seek security camera footage, get vehicle appraisals, and more to build evidence in your case. We need to have a strong case before we start demanding evidence or filing in court.
File an Insurance Claim
Our lawyers can file insurance claims for you to help you get damages. Insurance companies are often unwilling to pay full damages, and your own insurance usually will not cover pain and suffering.
Never accept an insurance settlement without checking with your lawyer. These offers are usually too low, and accepting one ends your case.
File a Lawsuit
Instead, consider a lawsuit. When the insurance companies deny damages and offer low settlements, it may be because of an issue on their end where the company is blocking the lawyers from authorizing a full settlement.
Often, the only way to move forward is to go to court and potentially all the way to trial.
Negotiate
Negotiations will continue throughout the process. The insurance company is free to make a fair offer at any point.
Go to Trial
If the case has to go to trial, we will prepare your case and get you ready for your day in court. At trial, you can testify about what happened to you and how the accident has affected you.
The jury then decides damages instead of the insurance company.
What Damages Can You Claim?
The damages in a car accident case are often very high. Damages can be claimed in the following areas:
Medical Bills
Some accidents cause very serious injuries that need immediate medical treatment and could leave you hospitalized. Even if they are not that serious, you may need stitches, X-rays, and follow-up care. Surgeries, medication, physical therapy, and more should all be covered.
Lost Wages
If your ability to earn a wage is reduced because of your injuries, you can seek damages for that, even if your car crash was wholly unrelated to your job. You can seek lost wages from the time you were hospitalized, plus ongoing wages you lose because of disabilities.
Vehicle Damage
Your car is often one of the most expensive things you own. The cost of repairs, replacement, and reduced vehicle value should be accounted for in a car accident case.
Other Economic Damages
Other expenses you pay because of the crash – such as the cost of childcare while you are hospitalized – should also be covered. The defendant caused these damages, so it is their responsibility to pay for them.
Non-Economic Damages – e.g., Pain and Suffering
Other harms have no costs associated. These “non-economic damages” can only be claimed against the at-fault driver; your insurance does not cover them.
They can cover emotional distress, physical pain, mental anguish, and more.
FAQs for Car Accident Injuries in Slatington
Where Should You Get Medical Care After a Car Crash?
You should typically be treated at a hospital after a car accident. Your normal doctor or an urgent care clinic might not be set up to bill car insurance companies, but hospitals are.
Those clinics can also turn you away and tell you to go to the hospital if you need more advanced care they cannot provide. A hospital cannot turn you away and is equipped to handle serious injuries.
What Evidence Should You Collect at the Scene?
At the scene of the accident, there is a treasure trove of information you can collect:
- The other driver’s name, contact info, and insurance info
- Names and contact info for any other passengers or witnesses
- Notes about the road conditions, lighting, and weather
- Notes about any traffic signs or lights that controlled the roads or intersection where the crash happened
- Photos of the intersection, signs, vehicles, and vehicle damage
- Notes about any dash cameras or security cameras that caught the crash on video.
Can You Leave the Scene of the Accident?
After a crash, you can move your car – and yourself – to the side of the road and wait in a safe, dry location. However, you should never flee the scene. Report the crash, wait for the officer to arrive, answer their questions, and wait with your car.
If you need medical care, you can go with the ambulance when they arrive. A lot of the info you could have stayed to collect will be recorded in the responding officer’s police report, and our lawyers can get a copy of that report if you had to leave to get medical treatment.
How Long Do You Have to File Your Case?
The law gives you 2 years to file a car accident lawsuit, but you should typically file sooner. Insurance claims should be filed without delay in the days or weeks after a crash.
However, always call our lawyers for help filing; do not talk to insurance on your own.
Contact Our Slatington Car Accident Attorneys Today
Call (215) 709-6940 for a free case evaluation with The Reiff Law Firm’s car accident lawyers.
