If you or a loved one have been seriously injured from a car accident in Texas, contact our experienced San Antonio car accident attorneys.
What to Do After a Car Accident in San Antonio
In the modern world, it’s common enough to see a fender bender or two on the road each and every day, or even experience such incidents ourselves. Unfortunately, sometimes car accidents are much more serious events, resulting in injuries that can change a person’s life.
In the aftermath of a car accident, what are your options? We thought that sharing the following story would help readers better understand how to proceed after a car accident to ensure the success of their claims.
A Day Like Any Other
A client of ours, who we’ll call Ted for the sake of privacy, was heading to work per usual one morning. Ted’s usual route took him onto Loop 1604— a classic hotbed of traffic activity every morning, of course. Ted was a conscientious driver and had (somewhat miraculously) never had a moving violation ticket in his life.
On this morning, however, even the best driving skills weren’t going to help him. When Ted was just about a half mile from his exit, a distracted, texting driver slammed into his front end, sending him into a spin. Ted ended up off the road in a ditch… and facing life-changing circumstances.
Ted’s Initial Reaction— “I’m fine.”
As Ted took a breath and realized what had happened, he began to shift in his seat, then gazed out towards the road. “I’m fine,” he thought to himself. His wife was always telling him that he “muscled through” things too often, and that was certainly the case on this day. He was about to get out of the car when another driver who had pulled over to help approached the window.
“Don’t move,” the driver told him. “You need to wait for the ambulance. I’ve put in a call.”
“I’m fine,” Ted replied.
“You may think you are, but you need to wait,” the other driver told him.
What was this driver getting at? An important concept in the aftermath of an accident: Oftentimes, adrenaline and other hormones make us think we are “fine” after an accident, when we are not. Ted thought he could just get up and go. He confessed later, too, that he didn’t even think he needed to see a doctor.
Mistakes like these can be hugely detrimental to your health and also put your eventual claim at risk. After an accident, it is always a good idea to get the medical care you need.
Listening to the Doctor
Ted’s wife, Marlene, met him at the hospital a few hours later. He had fractured ribs and a serious concussion, with a potential TBI. In the days that followed, his doctors began walking him through a treatment plan, telling him the steps he would need to take in the weeks and months to come.
Once the doctors left the room, Ted turned to his wife and asked, “Do I really need to do all that?” Yet another instance of Ted “muscling through.” Fortunately, his wife told him that he did indeed have to stick with the doctor’s plan. Doctors make recommendations for a reason, and any treatment plan should be followed. Doing so is also vital to the future of a car accident claim, as our experienced San Antonio car accident attorneys will tell you. Ted once again was working against himself.
Getting in Touch With an Attorney
Ted’s stubbornness reared its head once more when his wife brought up the topic of contacting some San Antonio car accident attorneys. Ted’s response? “We can handle this ourselves.” His opinion was that they were plenty intelligent enough to handle the case; what’s more, they might even save a penny or two.
What Ted and many of those injured in car accidents don’t realize is that it is very difficult to go it alone. Insurance companies have tactics for lowering the value of a claim, for one. Secondly, even the brightest person doesn’t have the experience and skillset needed to see one of these cases through.
San Antonio car accident attorneys with the right experience— including experience in the courtroom— will know how to move forward, however. They can provide the right guidance and can also handle all communications with opposing parties so that you claim is always putting its best foot forward.
Fortunately, in Ted’s scenario, he listened to his wife and contact the San Antonio car accident attorneys at Rush & Gransee. Ted eventually received 6 times more what the insurance company eventually offered in his distracted driving car accident claim.
Working with San Antonio car accident attorneys who know what they’re doing is the best option if you’ve been in an accident. To discuss your options moving forward, get in touch with the experienced San Antonio car accident attorneys at Rush & Gransee today. They can advise you on what you need to do to get the compensation you deserve.
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