What To do After a Sideswipe Accidents?

Your day is quickly ruined when you’re involved in a car accident. Whether it’s a head-on collision or a sideswipe, being involved in a car accident can be a terrible situation physically, financially, and emotionally. Sideswipe car accidents don’t sound all that severe. But in reality, they can be as physically damaging as any other accident. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2016, there were 940 deaths caused by sideswipe car accidents. While deaths are less common in sideswipes than other types of car accidents, they do happen. This goes to show that if you or a loved one is injured in a sideswipe, you may need to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer and they can help you know what to do after a sideswipe accident.

Sideswipe Accidents Causes

Sideswipe car accidents are less common than other types of accidents. Graduated licensing laws may help play a part in reducing sideswipe accidents. But this doesn’t mean they can’t cause serious injuries. The most common causes of sideswipe accidents are:

• Distracted driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Failing to yield at an intersection
• Failing to yield when changing lanes
• When a driver attempts to avoid a pothole or other road hazard

Sideswipe accidents are most often caused by driver distraction and carelessness. When a driver acts carelessly, that not only puts them at risk for injury, but it also puts their passengers and other drivers at risk. This type of behavior can have tragic consequences.

Common Injuries

Injuries resulting from sideswipe car accidents range from minor to severe. They include:

• Broken bones
• Lower back pain
• Back and neck injuries, including paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions
• Amputation
• Death

While sideswipe accidents don’t normally cause deaths, over 32,000 persons are killed in the United States every year in car accidents. If you or a loved one has suffered any injury from a sideswipe car accident, you need skilled and trusted representation to help guide you through the personal injury claims process. It’s not as simple as contacting the insurance company and getting a check. There is paperwork that must be filed, witnesses to interview, and documents to review. Your focus should be on your recovery, not on the legal work.

Steps to Take After a Sideswipe Collision

After a car accident, take these five steps:

1. Call emergency services immediately. Even if you believe that you are uninjured following your accident, you want to document the details of your accident. When you contact the police, officers will write a police report that includes important details of what happened, including their conversations with you, any other involved drivers, and any eyewitnesses. Officers may even assign fault in their reports, and although their opinions are not necessarily dispositive, you can use these reports to help establish fault and liability if your case proceeds to trial.
2. Seek out a medical evaluation. Visit a medical professional for a thorough check-up as soon as possible following your sideswipe collision. Even if you don’t feel any pain in the immediate aftermath of your accident, you may still have suffered injuries. A doctor can determine the extent of your injuries, and documented evidence of your injuries will help you when seeking compensation.
3. Take photos of the accident scene. You should attempt to document everything that you can about your accident, which includes taking pictures at the scene of the accident. These photos will help your attorney piece together what happened in your accident and better advocate on your behalf with insurance companies and in court.
4. When insurance companies attempt to contact you, refer them to your attorney. The primary goal of insurance companies is to make money, not help injured individuals. Admitting fault in any way can harm your case down the road and affect your ability to recover compensation for the full cost of your injuries. You should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible following your accident, so he or she can handle all communications with the insurance company.
5. Call a car accident attorney to determine your eligibility to file a personal injury claim. An experienced auto accident law firm can help ensure that you understand how much compensation to seek and how to go about recovering that compensation. If you were involved in an accident that was not your fault, you should not have to pay any of the costs associated with your injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can help maximize the amount of compensation that you receive.

Damages to Fight For

When you or a loved one is injured in a sideswipe car accident, your only focus should be on your recovery. You need a trusted and aggressive advocate handling the legal complexities so you don’t have to worry about how your bills will get paid. When you work with us, we’ll fight to get you compensation for:

• Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering and emotional distress
• Lost current and future wages
• Past, present, and future medical bills
• Rehabilitation costs

Many clients don’t realize how expensive even minor injuries can become. Your medical bills will pile up quickly and the other driver’s insurance company knows you need quick cash. They will prey on this by offering you a low ball settlement offer. Insurance companies make money by not paying claims. The insurance adjusters job is to settle your case for as little as possible, which means you could end up having to pay out of pocket for your medical bills. If you accept the insurance company’s low ball offer, you could also waive your rights to bring a claim against the insurance company in the future.

Their low ball offer likely won’t include enough money to cover your future medical bills. While it may cover the bills you already have sitting on your kitchen table, it won’t cover your future costs. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you speak with a seasoned personal injury lawyer in San Antonio before you sign any settlement offers. Our job is to make sure you don’t have to pay out of pocket for your recovery. You didn’t cause the accident so you shouldn’t bear any responsibility for the medical bills to get better.

Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney for More Information

When you or a loved one is injured in a sideswipe collision, you deserve to have an aggressive personal injury lawyer on your side guiding you toward a suitable outcome. When you work with us, we evaluate your claim, investigate your accident, speak with witnesses, negotiate with insurance companies, and protect your rights in court. We do all of this at no cost to you. We only get paid when you win.

Often, a trusted, experienced personal injury attorney can make the difference in ensuring you are properly compensated after suffering injuries due to another party’s negligence. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney today to determine your eligibility to seek compensation for your injuries following a sideswipe accident.