Follow These Steps After an Accident and Before Calling an Injury Lawyer in Rapid City SD

If you get into a car wreck, an injury lawyer in Rapid City SD can help you to get the compensation you need to pay for your medical expenses, any wages that you have lost or that you will lose in the future, and other damages.  Hiring the right attorney is important for ensuring that your rights are protected and you are treated fairly.  It is important to note, however, that there are certain steps that you can take immediately after the wreck, to better ensure your safety and protect your rights.

• Get to safety.  After you have been hit, take a deep breath and if it is a minor accident with no injuries consider moving your car to the edge of the road if you can do so safety.  If someone has been injured or there is major damage to one of the vehicles, consider leaving your car where it is as the locations of the cars will assist law enforcement in determining who was at fault.  Either way, turn on your hazard lights / four-way flashers. 
• Call the police.  Call the police and report the accident, and let them know that you want an officer to come to the scene.  Let the officer know that you would like to receive a copy of the Accident Report.  As an injury lawyer in Rapid City SD, we always want to obtain a copy of the Accident Report. 
• Exchange information. Get the other driver’s name, address, and telephone number, as well as his/her insurance information, and driver’s license number. If there were any witnesses, get their contact information at the same time.
• Document everything.  It can be difficult to remember details after the fact.  As soon as practical, take the time to write a few notes about what happened before, during and after the accident.  Try to recount every detail, including the weather, the area around you, how fast you were going, what the other driver did or did not do, what the other driver’s car looked like, any statements made by the other driver or any other witness immediately after the wreck, and more. It is also very important to get photographs of the vehicles before they are repaired.  You can also take pictures of the road, any debris, road signs and anything else that may shed light on what happened.  All you need is your cell phone in order to preserve some of the details that are frequently lost over time.
• Medical care.  If you think that you may have been injured in any way in the wreck, get checked out by a doctor and follow his/her recommendations.  Following your doctor’s recommendations is the best road to recovery and, at the same time, will prevent the other driver’s insurance company from saying that you are to blame if your pain or symptoms do not subside.

Once you are safe, call an injury lawyer in Rapid City SD so that we can walk you through the process of opening an insurance claim and getting your medical bills and other damages paid for. 

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Hire an Insurance Attorney in Rapid City to Make Sure you Get the Compensation You Deserve

If you have been injured, an insurance attorney in Rapid City can make sure that you receive the care and compensation you deserve.  Insurance companies are supposed to be there when we need them.  People pay monthly premiums for years without ever needing to use their policy benefits. Unfortunately, when they do, opposition is standard.  Whether it is an insurance company not wanting to pay for medical bills, a homeowner’s policy not willing to pay for damage to the home, or an auto policy that won’t pay to repair the car – we can help during the negotiations process to ensure that you receive the compensation and assistance that you are entitled to. 

It is important to remember that insurance companies are not there to pay you money.  They are in business to make a profit from you paying them money and never needing any in return.  To this end, they can be difficult to work with at times and many people are disappointed in how challenging the process can become.  We speak with clients all of the time that file a claim only to get shuffled from department to department while waiting for compensation.  We can help by ensuring that they address your concerns in a timely manner. 

Some of the ways you may have trouble with the insurance company is if you are in a car wreck, and the other party was uninsured.  This creates a challenge because your policy may or may not include provisions that pay for medical bills or car repairs when the crash involves an uninsured motorist. Fortunately, there are options for collecting from either your insurance company or through a civil action against the other driver.  As an insurance attorney, we can evaluate the case and let you know what the best course of action would be. 

If you are having difficulty getting your homeowners insurance to pay for home repairs – you are in good company.  Their goal is to minimize how much money they have to pay out in claims and will often do what they can to reduce the amount by claiming you were at fault for the damage and they don’t have to cover it.  Sometimes, they won’t even blame you but still will attempt to not pay out.  This creates a challenging situation since most people need to have their home fixed in order to live there.  By evaluating your policy, we can determine what they are obligated to pay for and as an insurance attorney in Rapid City; we are able to make sure that our clients are treated fairly.

Health insurance companies are notoriously difficult to work with.  The horror stories about procedures not getting paid for or approved have shed light onto how terrible the situation is.  Many people are afraid that if they get a major illness the insurance company won’t pay for the treatments that they need to recover.  This is an understandable concern and one that we can help to address. 

If you need to work with an insurance attorney in Rapid City, we are happy to speak with you and to review your case.  

Defensive Driving Tips from an Accident Attorney in Rapid City SD

As an accident attorney in Rapid City SD, we represent clients that have been injured in a car accident.  This happens to millions of people, and some of our clients have suffered from being in multiple car accidents.  As a personal injury lawyer, our job is to make sure that our clients' rights are protected and that they receive the compensation they deserve for their injuries.  What we do is important but we also want our clients to know how to avoid an accident and becoming injured in the first place. As such, here are our favorite defensive driving tips in order to stay safe and to avoid getting into a car wreck.

Stay focused on the road.  

This is a simple step that makes a big difference.  Distracted driving is a major cause of car accidents.  Now that virtually everyone has a cell phone, texting or talking while driving has become the norm and, as a result, distracted driving accidents are on the rise.  This is not the only thing that can cause an accident.  Talking to the kids, putting on makeup and eating can also cause a driver to be distracted and lose site of the road.  We recommend that you take extra precautions to focus on the road and what is going on around you so that if another driver is distracted and doesn’t see you, you have time to move out of the way.  You can start by removing any distractions that you face.  For example, tell the kids that when you are driving it is quiet time, and they should read a book.  You can also put your cell phone away so that you aren’t tempted to answer it.

Get a tune up.

It is important to keep your car in excellent condition.  If you are driving a vehicle that has worn out tires or bad brakes, you won’t be able to respond quickly and avoid an accident.  Instead, get your oil changed every 3,000 miles and have them check your brakes and tires when you do.  If they recommend getting them replaced, do so in a timely fashion in order to keep your car in good condition.  You should also check the lights on your car to make sure that they are working properly so that other cars can tell when you are braking or turning.  As an accident attorney in Rapid City SD, we have spoken with many drivers that were able to avoid a wreck by stopping suddenly or swerving out of the way.  This is possible when your car is in good condition. 

Watch for danger signs.

There are factors that can lead to an accident beyond another vehicle.  For example, a child or dog running into the road, bad weather, downed power lines, debris, etc.  All of these factors and more can lead to a car accident.  While practicing defensive driving, you need to be alert and look to see what is around you that could create a problem.  Slow down when you see these danger signs so that you can avoid them or stop suddenly if you need to. 

Practice being a defensive driver on a daily basis.  This way you can avoid a car accident.  If, however, you do get into a wreck call an accident attorney in Rapid City SD.