If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, chances are your first thoughts aren’t about how to win a lawsuit. However, a personal injury claim may be necessary if you’ve been injured. You’ll need to retain an experienced Hawaii personal injury attorney to help you navigate the aftermath of the accident.
If the accident occurred in the State of Hawaii, contact Hawaii’s personal injury attorney Daniel T Pagliarini AAL for assistance. Together, we can work together to get the fair compensation you deserve for your injuries and other damages.
Avoid These Mistakes After an Accident
Below, we’ll help you understand some common mistakes to avoid after a car accident and why you should call a Hawaii personal injury attorney to represent you.
Not Seeking Medical Attention Immediately
One of the best ways to protect yourself after a car accident is to visit your doctor to receive a physical examination. Sometimes, car accidents can cause injuries that don’t present signs immediately.
Visiting your doctor and receiving an exam to look for common car accident injuries will establish these injuries as part of your medical record. Insurance companies often try to deny or reduce personal injury claim amounts by saying that an injury existed before a car accident happened. By visiting your doctor, you can effectively counteract this strategy.
Not Calling the Police
If you’re involved in a car accident, one of the first things you should do is call the police. Once they arrive, they’ll speak to all of the parties involved in the accident and document the collision by filing a police report. In most states, you’ll be required by law to call the police if one party is injured or if property damage exceeds an amount set by jurisdictional law. Calling a police officer is also helpful if one party in the accident is driving under the influence.
Admitting Guilt
Before you speak, take a pause, and let the other driver speak. Be sure to take note of what they say. You’ll need to watch what you say if you’re involved in a car accident. Wait for police to arrive. If possible, get the names and phone numbers of any helpful bystander/witness. Once police arrive, be courteous, respectful and cooperative. Share with police any important, relevant information. For example, If you observed the other driver to have an odor of alcohol or bloodshot eyes, share that with the officer. If you’re unsure as to who was at fault, don’t say it out loud. Let the police officers figure that out. Just report the facts as they happened. Evidence may arise later that proves that fault is shared. Do not lie.
Not Gathering Evidence or Taking Pictures
Although calling the police to file a report is a great response to a car accident, you shouldn’t rely solely on the police for evidence. Instead, you should take pictures and gather evidence of your own. This information can be exceptionally helpful for your attorney should you decide to file a personal injury claim for your car accident.
Not Hiring a Car Accident Attorney for Your Personal Injury Claim
One of the most common mistakes that many people make after a car accident is not contacting an attorney to handle their personal injury claim. An attorney will ensure that your paperwork is filed correctly and that you don’t miss any important dates during your claim. They can also help you gather evidence and speak with other attorneys, insurance companies, and courts.
Enlist a Top Personal Injury Attorney in Honolulu
Hawaii’s Personal Injury Attorney, Daniel T Pagliarini, has spent more than three decades helping Hawaii’s injured get the compensation they deserve. While some attorneys pass their clients off to a paralegal, that’s not how our firm operates. When you hire us, you’re hiring Daniel to work directly with you on your case. If you’ve been involved in a car accident on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, or the Big Island, we can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. To learn more about how we may be able to help you, contact us to schedule your free consultation.