What to Do to Protect Your Legal Rights
Did you know that nearly two million people seek medical attention every year while on vacation? Of course, a significant percentage of those visits involve colds and similar illnesses, but many ER visits stem from car, truck, and motorcycle accidents. It’s one thing to be involved in a crash when you’re close to home and know where to get medical treatment and how to get police to the scene. But how can you protect your rights if you’re hurt in a collision on the other side of the state or the other side of the country?
When Appropriate, Call 9-1-1
Regardless of where you are in the United States, you can dial 9-1-1 to reach local emergency services. That’s the best way to get a police officer on the scene as soon as possible, and it’s also generally the best way to get timely medical attention. Of course, if it’s just a minor fender-bender, it may not be necessary or appropriate to call 9-1-1. In any instance, though, no matter how serious the accident, you should always notify police of the crash.
Make Your Health Your Priority
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, your ultimate concern should be the state of your health. Don’t make the mistake of assuming you can wait until you get home to seek medical treatment. Not only do you risk making your condition worse, but you may jeopardize your legal claims as well. You run the risk that you’ll have some intervening accident that will make it difficult to prove what injuries were caused by the car accident. The delay may also give defense attorneys ammunition to argue that your injuries were not that serious.
Let Your Insurance Company Know About the Accident
Don’t be surprised if your insurance carrier has different procedures for you to follow when you’re in an accident in another state. Call your agent as soon as possible and make certain that you take the right steps to protect your claim.
Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
You don’t necessarily need to look for counsel in the area where you had your accident. An attorney in your hometown may be able to represent you in another part of the state, or even in another state. If not, they may be able to refer you to proven counsel.
Contact the Law Office of Howard D. Popper
At the Law Offices of Howard D. Popper, we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after any type of personal injury, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.
We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent-fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.