Most people do not know about car accident laws until they get involved in one. Hundreds of serious and fatal accidents and crashes are reported on the roads of Ohio every year. If you get wrongfully injured in Toledo in such an accident because of someone’s mistake or neglect, you may have the right to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. In this post, we are sharing more on the steps to follow after an auto accident in Toledo.
- Check if someone needs help. Call 911 immediately if you are injured, or someone else needs assistance. Helping someone in need in such circumstances will not get you into trouble.
- Call the police. If the accident resulted in injuries, death, or serious property damage, you should call law enforcement agencies. Keep in mind that running away from the scene may turn things against you. Wait for the investigation officer to arrive, and if the police didn’t respond, you can file a crash report.
- Get details. Get as much information from other drivers, passengers, and witnesses as possible. Besides name and address, you also need insurance details of other drivers, so that you can file a claim for your losses and damages.
- Get evidence. Try to take as many videos and photographs of the accident scene as possible, before the vehicles are towed away and people disperse. This evidence can be crucial for your case in the long run.
- Inform your insurer. You should inform your insurer and the at-fault party’s insurer within a reasonable time. Remember that the statute of limitations doesn’t apply to car accident claims, but only personal injury lawsuits.
Don’t make the common mistakes
There are a few common mistakes that you need to avoid after a car accident-
- Do not admit fault
- Do not agree to the first offer from the insurance company
- Do not apologize to anyone
- Don’t sign any statement
Make sure that you call an attorney immediately after the car accident. A personal injury attorney can help in evaluating the true worth of your case, and they can guide you further on how to pursue your claim. Most attorneys in Ohio take up car accident lawsuits on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to pay the lawyer upfront either. The initial consultation is usually free, and you can always discuss other expenses so that you can manage the circumstances better.
Even while every car accident permanently inconveniences the lives of those involved, most are fairly minor and result in only minor or moderate injuries or property damage. But sometimes, even very minor car accidents involving only minor injuries or property damage can lead to serious car accidents involving fatalities or serious bodily injuries.
And when that happens, it becomes extremely important to have a car accident lawsuit. In fact, a car accident lawsuit is a very good idea, especially if you are relatively certain that you were not the negligent party, or if there is clear evidence that the negligent party was at fault.
In fact, there is a difference between the two kinds of car accident lawsuits: property damage suits and medical payments suits. Property damage suits, as the name implies, are suits for damages to properties. While there may be some truth to this, many people make the mistake of thinking that personal injuries are the same thing as property damages.
This isn’t the case, even though both types of lawsuits generally refer to the same types of damage. Medical bills, for instance, are obviously related to personal injury claims and are usually awarded to the victims.
Conversely, personal injury lawsuits deal more with financial compensation. While these lawsuits may not compensate for physical injuries as readily as property damages, they do award money for such things as lost wages, past and future medical costs, future loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
These are all items that will clearly have an impact on the victims’ well-being, and these monetary compensations can be awarded without the need for a car accident lawsuit. While medical bills may eventually become large enough that the victims find themselves unable to pay for their own treatments, there are many other benefits that can be obtained with proper legal representation. By filing your personal injury lawsuit, you stand a good chance of obtaining significant monetary compensation.
