{"id":4491,"date":"2018-05-01T10:48:33","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T14:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/?p=4491"},"modified":"2018-05-01T10:48:33","modified_gmt":"2018-05-01T14:48:33","slug":"major-steps-to-take-after-a-virginia-or-north-carolina-accident-occurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/major-steps-to-take-after-a-virginia-or-north-carolina-accident-occurs\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Steps to Take after a Virginia or North Carolina Accident Occurs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Car crashes can be frightening. It\u2019s hard to know who to call, what information you need, what evidence is needed, or how to care for the injured. Certainly, nobody wants to get into an accident \u2013 but it helps to have a plan in case a crash does occur. Almost everyone will have an accident in their lifetime. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best plan is to contact an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. The attorney will explain your rights and guide you through each stage of the claims and litigation process. A second plan is to make sure you have your cellphone with you. The phone should be charged and should have access to the Internet. With your smartphone, you can review our blog for general suggestions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><i>Key things to consider and be ready for if an accident happens<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stay at the accident scene<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you drive away from the accident site and anyone is injured, you can be cited for a hit and run offense. If someone is hurt (either a passenger or the occupant of another car), that person needs medical help. You should either call the police or a local hospital or doctor\u2019s office and ask for assistance. You can reach the police by dialing 911. If you leave the accident site, even if it is not a hit and run case, your flight may used against you. Jurors and insurance companies may believe you wouldn\u2019t have left the scene if you didn\u2019t cause the accident. You should get to where it\u2019s safe. For starters, this means getting off the center of the road and off to the sidewalk or another safe place. Make sure the engine is turned off. Turn on the hazard lights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Determine if anyone was hurt.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nobody expects you to b a doctor. But most people understand the signs of being hurt. Victims may bleed. They may faint. If they can talk, they will tell you themselves that they are in pain. Normally, the police or a hospital will arrange for an ambulance or a first-aid service to come to the accident site and render assistance. Most victims are taken to a local emergency room for treatment. If you suspect that you yourself were hurt in any way, you should arrange to go to the local emergency room. Early treatment can help your recovery process. If you delay getting medical attention, the insurance company may claim you weren\u2019t seriously injured. You should also follow up with your family doctor as soon as you can.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Exchange relevant information.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It\u2019s generally a good policy to exchange basic information. It may even be a requirement of law. Your lawyer can tell you what information you must disclose. Typically, drivers should exchange:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their name<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their insurance information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The make, model, and year of the cars<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their driver\u2019s license numbers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you speak with your lawyer, he can explain what information is not required to be exchanged. Generally, drivers shouldn\u2019t discuss how the accident happened. NEVER admit any fault, or say you are \u201csorry,\u201d even it sounds nice. That will be determined later. As a general rule, it\u2019s not necessary to give your address and phone number, unless asked for by the police. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Take pictures. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another good reason for having a charged cellphone is so that you can take photographs. You should take pictures of the following:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The damage to the cars \u2013<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> make sure to take pictures of all the vehicles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The traffic site \u2013<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this includes any traffic signals and the lanes of traffic. Pictures should note street names, any obstructions, and anything unusual about the location<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The witnesses, drivers, and passengers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 if they don\u2019t object. Don\u2019t be afraid to show the cuts, bruises, and injuries \u2013 while being respectful.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Any skid marks or debris<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Evidence of intoxication of defendant drivers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-especially if they are stumbling or slurring their speech-video them!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Talk with a trusted North Carolina or Virginia car accident lawyer. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lawyer will help calm you down. The lawyer will explain any legal answers and questions. He\u2019ll also review all practical steps you need to take to put your case in the best possible light.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Cooperate with the police.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Standard police procedure is to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Determine if anyone is injured and help them get medical care<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get the relevant information such as driver\u2019s license and registration information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear the accident site so that nobody else runs the risk of getting hurt<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speak with any witnesses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prepare a police report which your lawyer will review so that he knows how to start the litigation process and who is at fault<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Call your own insurance company.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You should let your own insurance company know about the accident. They may want to send someone to the accident site. They will almost certainly want to inspect the damage to your vehicle when they get the chance. Your insurance company will help arrange a tow for your car to a local repair shop.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are other precautions and plans drivers should consider. The car should be stocked with different items to handle different situations. A car should include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blankets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flashlights<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some way to keep warm if the car heater doesn\u2019t work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some non-perishable food<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you get home, you should note the time and date of the accident and what the weather conditions were. Try to remember how fast each car was going and which directions they were going.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper planning helps determine who caused the accident. Planning helps verify your damages which include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All reasonable medical bills including hospital surgeries, doctor visits, physical therapy, rehabilitation costs, medical equipment, and medications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your daily physical pain and emotional suffering<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payment for any scarring or disfigurement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lost income and the inability to work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Property damage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other relevant damages <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Talk to a respected North Carolina or Virginia car crash lawyer as soon as the accident happens<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attorney Joe Miller Esq. has been fighting for the injured for more than 30 years. He\u2019s helped thousands of people get justice in both Virginia and North Carolina He\u2019ll fight to get you the damage award you deserve through a strong settlement or a jury verdict. \u00a0For hep now, please phone <\/span><b>(888) 694-1671<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or complete the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/contact-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Car crashes can be frightening. It\u2019s hard to know who to call, what information you need, what evidence is needed, or how to care for the injured. Certainly, nobody wants to get into an accident \u2013 but it helps to have a plan in case a crash does occur. Almost everyone will have an accident &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Major Steps to Take after a Virginia or North Carolina Accident Occurs\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/major-steps-to-take-after-a-virginia-or-north-carolina-accident-occurs\/#more-4491\" aria-label=\"Read more about Major Steps to Take after a Virginia or North Carolina Accident Occurs\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12,9],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Joe Miller","author_link":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/author\/jmiller\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Car crashes can be frightening. It\u2019s hard to know who to call, what information you need, what evidence is needed, or how to care for the injured. Certainly, nobody wants to get into an accident \u2013 but it helps to have a plan in case a crash does occur. Almost everyone will have an accident&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4491\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}