Car accidents are, unfortunately, none of the incidents that can impact other people’s lives quite badly. These can lead to physical injuries, property damage, and emotional trauma that can be really difficult to deal with.
Also, with that, it becomes a little more challenging to see how the legal complexities can be maneuvered through the whole process of navigating car accidents.
There are a lot of questions that come into people’s minds as soon as an accident occurs. But the answer to such questions can be given by an expert on the file who has extensive experience in the legal side of things.
A car accident attorney, however, in a car accident case, can prove to be really helpful.
Let’s go through all of those questions one by one and clear the air about car accidents and the steps taken afterward.
What Can I Do Immediately After a Car Accident?
Car accidents can be really hard to understand right after they occur. But the steps that you take can help you get through them easily. So, follow these steps.
- Right after an accident occurs, make sure that you move to a safe space and get your vehicle on the side where there is safety. Also, try to turn on your hazard lights so that other people know you need help.
- Make sure that you are safe and call the authorities that you think you can trust. Make a request for medical help, and call 911 immediately after the accident.
- In a lot of cases, it is observed that clang the police is the only best option that you must choose. A police report is very helpful in order to prevent further accidents from occurring.
- Try and collect information from the witnesses that are present at the site of the accident. Ask them for their names and gather their contact information; along with that, ask them for their license plate information. You can be polite and talk to people, but just make sure that you do not say anything that involves faults.
- Documentation is also very important. For this, you can use your cameras and phones. Try to make videos and take pictures of the scene of the accident that can later be used as evidence in court. After evidence collection, it’s crucial to ensure the area is properly cleaned, especially if there are biohazards present. New Haven Crime Scene Cleanup Services can assist in thoroughly sanitizing the accident site, removing any hazardous materials, and restoring the area to a safe condition.
- Hiring an attorney is also one of the basic first steps that you need to take. A car wreck lawyer has the best expertise that can help you maneuver through your case.
How is Liability Established?
Finding out the liability is a very important aspect of the claim process. The persons or parties at fault for the accident shall be held responsible or legally responsible.
The first step here is to look for the rules or regulations being violated. If you think that there has been some violation, then it is easy for you to determine the fault. Some of the commonly observed violations include overspeeding, not following traffic lights, and irresponsible lane switching.
The statements from the police also play a very important role, as these statements can serve a lot in finding out who is at fault.
A personal injury attorney also makes sure that the violations or the damages that have been done are addressed properly in order to find out the best way to establish liability. Along with that, the video evidence also plays a big role in establishing the correct liability.
What is the Statute of Limitations in Car Accident Cases?
The statute of limitation is the time frame in which a case can be legally taken to the court. This is the time in which the injured party can take the case for legal representation and file a lawsuit against the party that has caused them damages.
It is very important, as the purpose of the statute of limitation is to make sure that claims for damages are made timely. It allows both parties involved in a collision to proceed with certainty as soon as the period has ended, which constitutes a fundamental principle of fairness.
Now, when it comes to deciding on the statute of limitation, it all depends on the jurisdiction that is followed in that particular state where the accident occurs. It is commonly seen that the statute of limitations is two to three years long. But some states do have it shorter than even a year, and some have it longer than three. So, it all depends on the jurisdiction of a state.
Conclusion
The commonly asked questions about car accidents are really simple yet contain a lot of complexities. It is essential to get answers to all of these questions as these usually occur in a layman’s mind. However, after knowing the exact steps to follow, it can get really easy for the plaintiffs and the defendants to maneuver through the legal processes.