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If you or a loved one are ever injured in a car wreck in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, you need to know exactly what to do. The auto injury lawyers of The Law Man Group, APC have a clear guide to improve your chances of medical and financial recovery.
The screech of tires, the sharp blast of a horn, then a crunch of metal. It is bad enough to hear a car crash happen from down the block; being inside one is a hundred times worse. You can easily black out or go into shock, unaware that you have even suffered injuries that might affect you for the rest of your life.
In the San Fernando Valley and the Greater Los Angeles area as a whole, car wrecks are a daily occurrence. We have all seen them on the 405, Hollywood Freeway, or any one of our sprawling boulevards. So many of us commute by car and depend on it; it is impossible not to stare at other vehicles crumpled or burnt after an incident, and not think: what if that happened to me?
Unfortunately, it very well might, and often through no fault of your own. If you are, or have been, in such an automobile crash, you need to know what to do right away—not just in terms of medical assistance but also how to handle the inevitable personal injury claim needed to recover financial compensation for what you have been through.
Tens of thousands of car, truck, and motorcycle crashes occur every year in Los Angeles, including in the Valley. While most are not deadly, many are, and most of those that are not fatal involve some kind of injury. Given these grim statistics, it is important for you to be aware and prepared of what to do and why it matters. That way, if it does, or if it has, you will be better equipped to handle the situation.
Obviously, every step is important, but might not be as critical, or relevant, depending on the details of the incident, and the order in which you do them is not as important as the fact that you do them all.
First things first, get to as much safety as you can. Too many crashes, especially on busy or high-speed roads, involve subsequent collisions or crashes, which can cause further injuries.
Then, though it might seem like a no-brainer (it is shocking how many car crash victims fail to do so), call either the police or emergency medical services. If you are involved in an auto wreck, call 911, get the police, and (if anyone has been injured) an ambulance on the way.
Once emergency responders arrive, follow all their instructions, remain polite, and do not apologize. Provide an honest account of what happened, and be sure to report absolutely every visible injury or internal pain or discomfort you feel to any medical professionals who examine you at the scene.
Assuming you can, documenting the car wreck and the surrounding scene can be invaluable later. Each piece of evidence you can muster that speaks to what happened and why can help prove you were not at fault, and demonstrate who was. Fault, in turn, will determine whose insurance is held responsible for the damages, including your injuries.
Helpful evidence can include photographs of the cars, the wreck, any other vehicles involved, the road conditions, the weather, any injuries, all license plates, ID from the other drivers, and more.
That said, you should also try to limit your interactions with other drivers directly involved in the auto wreck. While it is OK to exchange contact and insurance information, you should do everything you can to remain polite and avoid discussing the incident directly. No matter how tempting it seems, or how much our society encourages us to do so, avoid apologizing or doing anything else to suggest you take responsibility for it unless it was clearly and unequivocally your fault.
In most cases, if you are severely injured, you will be taken from the scene of the car wreck in an ambulance and get immediate medical care at a hospital. Whether it is San Gabriel, Pacifica, or Providence Saint Joseph, you will have your injuries fully documented, cared for, and treated. While the bills for this care can be substantial, a good attorney will help you make sure they are covered in your personal injury claim.
Even if your injuries seem less severe or you believe you might not be injured at all, you should still find your way to a doctor or hospital as soon as possible, preferably within the same day. Many injuries can go undetected, especially in the immediate adrenaline or shock following a car crash, but waiting too long to have them identified can make it orders of magnitude harder to obtain the crucial personal injury compensation you need to cover its costs.
We have mentioned personal injury claims a couple of times, but if you have never been in a car wreck or suffered another kind of serious injury, you might not be aware of what these are and the difference they can make after an injury.
In California, car wreck injury victims and anyone hurt by the negligence of other individuals, companies and institutions can claim financial compensation from them for the costs and losses associated with that injury.
Given the cost of these injuries, especially the burdens of medical care, lost income, permanent disability, and emotional trauma, you want to make sure the other party covers as much of it as possible, which is where personal injury lawyers come into play.
Attorneys like Shawn and Elisa Gozarkhah in the San Fernando Valley work closely with injured individuals to help them make complete and effective personal injury claims. They negotiate hard with the insurance companies who need to pay, or take them to court when required, to ensure you get that vital financial compensation.
Law Man Group, APC | Personal injury lawyers ready to fight for you after any severe car wreck injury.
You can only hope that if one day you are involved in a car crash or other motor vehicle incident in the San Fernando Valley, it will not result in any severe injuries. Hopefully, the three steps above will be all you need to make a full medical recovery and continue with your life.
But if you have suffered serious injuries, the three steps above are only the start of your fight to recover, medically and financially, from your car wreck. But you do not have to face that fight alone.
To secure the compensation you need after a car crash injury in the Valley or anywhere in Los Angeles, call (818) 699-0492 or <a href="https://www.thelawmangroup.com/contact-us/">reach out to our team online to book a free consultation with the personal injury lawyers of The Law Man Group, APC. We will take on the vanguard of that fight so that you can focus on recovery.
