What to Do if You’re Injured in a Car Accident?

If you get hurt in a car accident, you should take steps to protect your health, your finances and any future injury claim. Medical treatment, photographs, witness information, and crash reports may all affect whether an insurance company accepts or disputes your claim later.

Many people assume fault will be obvious after a crash, but that doesn’t always happen. Insurance companies often review collisions closely and may question how the crash happened, how badly someone was hurt, or whether another driver caused the injuries.

Our Raleigh car accident lawyer knows how insurers look at accidents and will work to protect your claim. We will gather evidence, deal with insurance adjusters, and work to prove who should pay for your losses after a collision in North Carolina.

Steps to Take After Getting Hurt in a North Carolina Car Accident

What you do after a crash can affect your health, your finances, and any insurance claim related to the crash. Medical records, crash reports, photographs, and statements made to insurance companies can all become part of the conversation later.

Some people assume fault will be obvious after a collision, though insurance companies often review claims closely and look for reasons to reduce or deny damages. The steps below explain what to do after a crash in North Carolina and how certain decisions may affect your case.

Get Medical Care as Soon as Possible

After a crash, medical treatment should happen early, so see a doctor as soon as possible. A physician’s evaluation matters because their findings relate your injuries to the collision. We can use these medical records to support your claim.

Insurance companies often review treatment records carefully during a claim investigation.  Delays in care may lead an insurer to argue that the injuries came from something else. Common injuries after a crash include:

• Head injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Broken bones
• Shoulder injuries
• Internal injuries
• Burn injuries
• Limb loss (amputations)
• Knee injuries
• Soft tissue injuries

Follow-up care after an accident also matters. Missing appointments or stopping treatment early may create problems during the claims process.

Some injuries develop slowly, so you should watch for delayed symptoms after a crash. If you have pain, headaches, dizziness, numbness, or stiffness days later, return to your doctor for another exam and new treatment instructions. Your visit also creates updated medical records that will document your condition.

Call and Ask for a Crash Report From Law Enforcement

North Carolina law requires drivers to report some crashes to the police. Under G.S. § 20-166.1, drivers must notify police when a collision causes injuries, a death, or enough property damage to meet the legal limit.

The responding officer may prepare a crash report that includes the following details:

• Driver information
• Insurance information
• Road conditions
• Witness statements
• Vehicle damage observations
• Diagrams of the crash scene

The report may become valuable evidence later if fault is disputed.

Take Pictures and Save Evidence

Proof that can show what happened can disappear quickly after a collision. People can get their vehicles repaired, and witnesses can forget details as time passes. Photos taken at the scene may help show how the crash happened.

If possible, try to photograph:

• Vehicle damage
• License plates
• Skid marks
• Traffic signs
• Debris on the road
• Visible injuries
• Weather and road conditions

Keep copies of medical bills, repair estimates, towing receipts, and any letters you receive from insurance companies.

Be Careful When Speaking With Insurance Companies

It is common for insurance adjusters to contact injured drivers soon after an accident. If you receive such a call, be careful what you say and share. Insurance companies want to limit how much they pay in damages. In some cases, they don’t want to pay anything at all.

Adjusters may look for reasons to blame another driver, question injuries, or argue that medical treatment was unnecessary. Simple comments sometimes get used against injured people later.

Saying “I’m fine” or guessing about fault may create problems for a claim if injuries become worse over time.

During these calls, adjusters may ask for recorded statements or medical authorizations. You generally do not have to agree to either request right away, especially before you understand the full extent of your injuries or speak with a lawyer.

How North Carolina Fault Rules Can Affect an Injury Claim

In North Carolina, the contributory negligence rule means a person may not be able to recover damages if they played any role in the crash. Insurance companies know how strict this rule can be. Because of that, their investigations can focus heavily on blame.

They may try to argue that a driver was speeding, driving while distracted, or was following too closely while behind the wheel. This is one reason having clear evidence matters a great deal after a collision.

Photographs, surveillance footage, witness statements, and crash reconstruction findings may help support a claim.

What Damages Can You Seek if You Get Hurt in a Car Accident?

Your car accident claim may involve many different losses depending on the injuries and the facts of the crash. You may be able to claim:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical treatment
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning ability
• Physical pain and discomfort
• Emotional distress
• Rehabilitation costs
• Property damage

Some crashes can cause long-term disabilities that affect work, mobility, or daily life for years. Our Raleigh catastrophic injury lawyer will pursue damages linked to ongoing medical care and other losses connected to the serious injury.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in North Carolina?

If you must file a lawsuit against the liable party, state law generally gives you three years from the accident to file, per G.S. § 1-52. Wrongful death cases usually carry a two-year deadline under G.S. § 1-53.

Missing the filing deadline could prevent you from seeking damages in court, so reach out for legal help as soon as possible.

What Happens if the Other Driver Does Not Have Insurance?

Not everyone who gets into an accident on North Carolina’s roads has auto insurance or enough insurance to cover damages. In those situations, a claim may still exist through uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.

These claims can still become complicated because the injured person may end up dealing with their insurance company. Disputes may involve fault for the crash, injury severity, medical treatment, policy limits, and coverage exclusions. As with other claims, insurers look closely at these claims before paying damages.

Got Hurt in a Crash? Get Help From Our Car Accident Lawyer

Getting hurt in a car accident can lead to injuries, medical bills, and challenging insurance disputes that can delay a claim for damages. You don’t have to take on insurers on your own.

Whitley Law Firm will help you.

We have helped North Carolinians hurt in crashes for more than 50 years and bring over 120 years of combined experience to injury cases. Our team is available 24/7 and works to return phone calls within 24 hours.

Call our office today for The Whitley Advantage. You can discuss what happened and learn more about your legal options after a car accident. Your consultation is free, and you owe us no money if we don’t recover your damages.