From car accidents to slips and falls on someone else's property to hazards around the workplace, dangers can be everywhere in our day-to-day lives if people act with negligence and fail to exercise basic safety behaviors. No matter what kind of accident you are in and no matter who you think is to blame for it, there is always one thing you should do first before anything else: seek medical attention. Although this may seem like an obvious statement, many people understandably overlook this critical step during the chaos and confusion of an accident.
Seeking medical attention is absolutely critical, though, and for so many reasons. Of course, you want everyone to be safe, sound, and healthy after an accident, but odds are someone is hurt. If you have a cellphone on you, call emergency medical responders immediately. Serious wounds need a paramedic's attention, and then hospital care, and minor wounds could be hiding something serious. There are many cases in which someone feels soreness or a headache and thinks it is nothing but a medical examination reveals an underlying brain injury or spine damage; had medical attention not been sought right away, the wound could have degraded into something much worse.
In addition to addressing health concerns, immediate medical attention will provide you with an official report of your injuries and possibly the accident scene as well. When insurance carriers eventually start calling and asking for evidence of the injuries listed in your claim, you will be more than prepared to provide exactly what they need to see. It is hard for even the most stubborn of insurance companies to argue with a written statement from a medical professional.
What is Step Two After an Accident?
Once you have done what you can to either contact or seek medical attention after an accident, your next move should be to retain a professional attorney to help you with your upcoming claim and potential legal battle. The negligent party is unlikely to accept accountability, knowing that doing so would make them accept liability for payments related to your recovery. If you retain the services of our Columbia personal injury lawyers from Masella Law Firm, P.A., you will be working with a team that has 20+ years of experience representing clients all around South Carolina.
Contact us today, let us know what happened during a case evaluation, and we can outline your legal options and what you should be doing next.