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What Information Will You Need For Your Car Accident Lawyer?

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Being prepared for an initial consultation with an attorney is extremely important for a variety of reasons, mainly so that you can use your time during this consultation to get the best understanding possible of how you and the lawyer will be able to work together. Finding an attorney to take your case can be a surprisingly complicated process if you do it on your own, and oftentimes, people will need to go through this process on their own.

However, there is are services that can connect you with a car accident lawyer in Tampa without needing to go through all of the additional legwork of finding an attorney that covers your area of need AND who is available to take your case. By using the 1800injured.care referral service to connect with an attorney, you can focus on your personal needs and the work ahead of you.

Take a look below at some of the most important information that you should gather before an initial consultation with your attorney. Remember that once you start working with your lawyer that they will be able to advise you on the additional information you will need to gather, or will be able to gather the information on their own as you focus on your recovery.

A Copy Of Your Police and Accident Report

The accident report that the police will write will be one of the central sources of truth throughout the entire claims process and will give your attorney a good idea of what they are up against. The sooner you are able to get a copy of the police report in front of a lawyer the better since they will be able to identify any information that may be unclear or could be misconstrued so that you can begin to take steps to correct them or work around these blockers.

Contact Information and Statements From Your Passengers

If there were other passengers in the vehicle that were injured in the accident, your lawyer will benefit from knowing about the extent of their injuries, as well as their own perspective and account of the accident. Since they are firsthand eyewitnesses to the accident as well, their testimony and involvement will be helpful even though they will likely be handling their own claim process at the same time.

Medical Records Relating To the Accident

Any medical-related documentation that you can gather will be extremely informative for your attorney and will help them to get a better understanding of the situation than you will be able to do on your own. These medical records, much like the accident report, will be key documents throughout the entire process, so giving your attorney access to all of the related information as soon as possible will be a significant benefit.

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Income and Earnings Statements

Equally important to providing your attorney with a comprehensive understanding of your situation is any relevant income information, such as previous paystubs, employment contracts, or anything else that they can use to understand how much money that you are losing each day that your injuries keep you from work. You will be able to seek compensation for these losses in your claim, as well as your medical costs and any other damages, but the more financial documentation that you can provide, the more clear and compelling of an argument your attorney will be able to make. A single pay stub isn’t going to cut it. Get your tax statements, work contracts, and bank statements together to present a full picture of your financial situation.

Your Insurance Policy

If the other driver caused the accident, then you will likely be going through their insurance to seek compensation for your injuries and financial impacts. However, it is very important for your attorney to understand what sort of insurance you have protecting you regardless, as they will need to interact with your insurance company to some extent regardless of who ultimately pays your damages. Your insurance company will need to know what is going on with your claim from time to time, and your attorney may be able to help you understand what will happen next.

Pictures of the Accident

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Take as many pictures of the accident and your injuries as possible. They will help your attorney to get an idea of the severity of the situation, and they will be very useful as you move forward with settlement negotiations or if you need to go to trial. Bruises fade, scars lighten, but pictures will always show the horror and pain that you had to endure in the early days of your injuries. If you do have to ultimately go to trial, these pictures will help your case by showing the judge or jury the actual injuries that you suffered, since they can seem very abstract months—even years—down the road when it goes to court.

Contact Information or Statements from Eyewitnesses

If you have any contact information for eyewitnesses, or if you already have gathered some eyewitness accounts of the situation, this information will be very helpful for your attorney to have. Every additional piece of context that your attorney can bring into your case will help to strengthen your position and allow for more aggressive negotiations. The more eyewitnesses that you are able to get statements from, the less the conversation becomes about your word versus the other driver’s word, which is important if there are disagreements about fault or the cause of the accident.

A Record of Any Communications That You Have Made Related to the Accident

If you have already filed an insurance claim, contacted your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company, or taken any other steps on your own, then your attorney will need to know about these contacts and ensure that they are able to incorporate those steps into their own process. This is equally important because you may have unknowingly made a statement that could ultimately come back to haunt you, such as an innocuous apology that the other insurance company uses as proof that you admitted fault (although you did not). The more information your lawyer has, the better suited they are to help you.

5 Stages of Your Car Accident Lawsuit

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Sometimes traffic accidents happen even when it’s not our fault. Such unfortunate events can happen even while we are being really careful about how we are driving. These don’t always have to be serious, but even a few scratches on your vehicle are more than enough to cause economic imbalance.

Although the best thing we can do against such scenarios is to listen to all safety precautions from the government and try to prevent them from happening, we are still not able to bring down the number of accidents to zero.

This is why we decided to talk about some of the things that you can do after such an unfortunate event takes place in your life. We wish that nobody ever has to experience something like this, but as we said above, there will always be at least some chances for an error to occur. The one who caused the accident is not always the blame for, because people sometimes make mistakes, and that’s perfectly fine.

Either way, it’s important to know what your options are in case you ever get into a situation like this because knowing what to do can save you a lot of money. If you’re curious to learn some more about this topic, feel free to continue reading until the end of this article.

1. Acting on spot

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We all know that the scene of the accident is what the police are going to use some evidence to determine whose fault it was. This is why you need to make sure that you don’t do anything out of the ordinary while at the spot. It’s okay if you don’t know what to do because not everybody experienced a traffic accident before, and that’s a great thing. Also, worry not because we’re here to inform you.

First of all you need to make sure that both you, your passengers, and the other party are in good condition. Health is the most important thing, so if anybody needs medical assistance, you should focus on providing it, but only if you don’t need more than them. This is something that you get taught at your driving lessons, but many of us seem to forget it, especially in such stressful moments.

While you’re at the scene, after you make sure that everybody’s okay, you should make sure that you don’t touch any of the items or objects which can be used as evidence, because if you do that, that’s considered as something called “fabricating the crime scene”.

2. Speaking with the officers

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One of the many things that you need to do post-accident is speaking with the officers. You need to do this because they’re the ones who need to file a report for the entire situation. Make sure that you’re speaking the truth because if there are any other eye-witnesses, and they all tell a different story than yours, you can get in trouble.

Besides, on most modern junctions and even some highways now, there are cameras mounted on top of the poles, so don’t risk to get caught speaking something else. Video evidence will work in your favor if you were not the one who caused the mess, so don’t forget about this option as well.

3. Searching for a lawyer

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The third step that you have to take after filing the reports along with the police officers, is to start searching for a reliable lawyer, preferably one that has a lot of experience in this area. You can do this successfully by using the Internet. Today, almost every business, at least every successful one, has a website that you can use to learn some more about how they operate, what their policies are, and how much they charge for certain products or services.

Living in 2020 makes this so much easier because the only thing you need to do is simply search Google for local law centers. If you live in a larger city, chances are that many results are going to come up on the first page. Now comes a time when you have to decide on your own, but we’re here to help you as well.

The best way to find a reliable lawyer is to search for one who has years of operating experience, especially in this area. Then, you can move on to reading some reviews and learning some more about the satisfaction of their customers. Last but not least, you should compare the prices. Usually, these people will not tell you the price until you establish good communication, so you’ll have to spend some time talking with each one of them.

If you feel like you’re going nowhere with the results, you’re always more than welcome to visit The Law Center.

4. Collaborating with your lawyer

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If the accident was a bit more serious, chances are that the other party is going to have a lawyer as well. This means that you will be facing some competition, so you have to do your best to collaborate with your lawyer, and work closely together towards winning the case. Make sure that you provide all useful information and the details as well, because the more informed your attorneys, the higher the chances of winning in the courtroom.

This step is probably what’s going to make the most of your time, but being dedicated is worth it at the end.

5. Seeking doctor’s assistance

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You need to do a medical appointment, if you want to prove in the courtroom that your injuries from the accident are legitimate. Unfortunately, even if you are truly injured, but you don’t have any legal evidence to prove it, your compensation might be lower than expected. However, this shouldn’t be a problem now and it can easily be solved by getting accurate medical reports about your current state.

You’ll need all of these documents to make your case a lot stronger, so don’t skip this step, even though it might seem like something unimportant to do. Remember to seek advice from your lawyer at all times, and don’t be afraid to ask any questions that you don’t know the answer to. Although we listed this as the final step in the car accident lawsuit procedure, chances are that you have to do it before taking things to the courtroom. Being prepared is the key to winning the case.

3 Distressing Emergencies and How to Handle Them

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Life can be unpredictable. While your chances of facing a serious emergency are low, it’s important to be prepared for anything, whether it’s a fire, pandemic, or car accident. Many people suffer in emergencies because they aren’t prepared. Quick thinking and help from those with knowledge, training, or experience can often mean the difference between life and death.

Regardless of the type of emergency, it’s important to react quickly yet stay calm. While the rush of adrenaline in an emergency can help your body respond faster, you should also try to think clearly.

1. Pandemic

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It can be easy to panic when an epidemic develops into a pandemic. However, it’s best to relax and follow the necessary precautions until a vaccine is developed to control the situation. Here are some tips to help you deal with an outbreak:

  • Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or with soap and water. Remember to wash for at least two minutes and to clean your fingers thoroughly, including your nails.
  • Keep a safe distance of at least three feet between yourself and someone who is coughing or sneezing.
  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose, and mouth frequently, especially when outside your home. If the virus is on your hands, it could enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze and dispose of it quickly and safely. Alternatively, you can sneeze into your elbow to avoid contaminating your hands.
  • A special mask called the N95 respirator may protect you against certain viruses. However, a common surgical mask will offer no protection according to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
  • Read up on the symptoms of the pandemic. If you have any of them, then seek medical attention immediately.

2. Residential Fire

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Thousands are killed while tens of thousands of people are injured by fire every year. Sadly, many of these casualties were avoidable. By preparing your home, you can greatly improve the chances of your family surviving a fire.

  • Sit down with your family and develop an emergency plan. Identify all exits and develop two escape routes. Your primary route may not work if there are fire and smoke in the hallway. If you’re on the lower floor, then the balcony or window can be used as an emergency exit with the right tools.
  • Attend a training seminar with your family to learn how to deal with a fire. It’s best to get out fast, stay low, and to check doors for heat before opening them. If you catch fire, then stop, drop, and roll to extinguish the flames.
  • If you live in an apartment, then never use the elevator during a fire. Instead, use the fire exit to evacuate safely.
  • Have the necessary tools at home to help you in such an emergency. There should be working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in bedrooms, kitchens, and hallways. Fire extinguishers should be placed in key areas of the house and everyone in the household should know how to use them. Likewise, fire blankets can help protect you from bodily harm during an evacuation. These are made of flame retardant materials and can save lives.
  • Be particularly mindful of vulnerable members of your household. Children, seniors, and people with reduced mobility will need extra support during an evacuation. The evacuation chair from Evacuscape is an excellent tool to help people with reduced mobility such as the disabled, patients, seniors, pregnant women, and others evacuate during an emergency. This chair is mobile, easily trainable and made of high-quality materials. People with reduced mobility are far more likely to perish in a fire and an evacuation chair can improve their chances of escaping safely.

One of the best ways to fight a fire is prevention. Food that’s being cooked should never be left unattended and you should know how to fight a grease fire. Never leave burning cigarettes or candles accessible to children. Make sure that the wiring in your home is in pristine condition and don’t overload electrical sockets with multiple power-hungry appliances.

If you’re outside your home while it’s on fire, then call the emergency number immediately. Calmly give them your full address and details of the fire and wait for help from the professionals.

3. Auto Accidents

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The first thing you should do if your vehicle was involved in an accident is to stop the car and stay at the scene, or you may be prosecuted. If the damage is minor, then call the nearest Collision Reporting Centre within 24 hours. If anyone is injured or there’s serious damage, then call the emergency number immediately.

Wait for the professionals to arrive and avoid moving the injured. Doing so may exacerbate their injuries. However, you may move the injured if they’re in immediate danger. Usually, it’s best to wait for instructions from the emergency operator.

Turn the hazard lights on after a collision to warn other drivers. You can also use traffic cones or a flare if needed. Get out of the car if it’s safe. If possible, take pictures of the scene of the accident with your phone. When everything is under control, call your insurance company quickly. They will send someone to evaluate the accident and may even offer towing and transportation services.

Avoid arguing with passengers, drivers, and witnesses at the accident. Only give your side of the story to the police. Likewise, avoid assuming liability. Let the insurance companies sort it out. Be wary if a random tow truck arrives to offer services. Many predatory tow truck companies will hold your property hostage until you pay an unreasonable sum of money.

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Have the following items in your car to be ready for road emergencies:

  • Pen and paper
  • Insurance documents
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Traffic cones
  • Flares
  • Flashlight
  • Toolkit
  • Spare tire
  • Clean towel
  • Clean blanket
  • Bottled water

These are three emergencies that you should be prepared for. Your ability to deal with bad luck can improve the likelihood of a positive outcome.