Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

Personal Injury Types and Tips

Carelessness seems to be abundant these days resulting in many personal injuries. Even those who exercise caution can still find themselves involved in an accident that creates injuries and personal suffering. Three million injuries every year in the United States are the result of over 6 million auto accidents. Two million of those become permanent personal injuries and 40,000 of those end in death. Accidents involving big rigs number close to 126,000 every year causing 60,000 personal injuries and over 5,000 of those ending in death. If you happen to own an SUV, you might think you have less to worry about because the number of accidents involving SUVs is significantly less, but the number of fatalities associated with SUV rollovers when an accident does occur is frightening.

Many families own ATVs to use for work related activities or for fun and recreation. But, you might be surprised to discover that approximately 136,000 personal injuries result each year from the use of ATVs. And with gasoline prices going up and down like a roller coaster, many people have invested in motorcycles to save gas. However, with more motorcycles on the road, nearly 50,000 serious personal injuries have been caused by motorcycles each year with 2,300 deaths reported from among them.

With human error comes the inevitability of accidents. You can't completely avoid them; you simply have to do your best to prevent them. If you should happen to be involved in an auto accident there are a few tips to try to keep in mind that could help you to avoid some legal and litigation problems later.

First and foremost, check for obvious injuries on yourself and those with you. If your party seems to be all right, check to see if anyone else is injured. Don't attempt to administer first aid unless you are trained to do so. Never moved an injured person. Call the police to report the accident and let them know if anyone is injured and how many appear to be injured. This lets them know how many emergency vehicles and personnel will be needed.

Even if there seems to be no injuries, never leave the scene of an accident. Most states consider this against the law and you could be slapped with criminal charges or at the very least lose your driver's license. Stay until the police inform you that is okay to leave. When it is okay to leave the scene, seek medical attention even if you think you are okay. Injuries can sometimes be hidden beneath the mask of adrenaline. If you discover injuries later, some insurance companies will try to say that they weren't connected to the accident.

When an accident occurs, it is normal to be a little shaken up and it may be hard to remember the things you should do, but it always a good idea to turn your flashers on especially at night to let other vehicles know there has been an accident. Many accidents are caused by vehicles approaching an accident that just happened and are unaware of the danger.

Next, if you are physically able, it is very important to get some information about the other drivers involved in the accident. You should ask for their name, address, driver's license number, insurance information and license plate number. If there were any witnesses to the accident, you should get their name, address and telephone as well. Never openly admit that you were at fault. You may have been at fault, but then there may be factors surrounding the accident that you are not aware of initially. It may turn out that the other driver was at fault.

The police officers that handle the accident will usually give you a business card that has the incident number on it. You will need this when you go to the police station to request an accident report. However, many insurance companies will take care of that for you. But, just in case, there is nothing wrong with asking the officer for this information if they don't offer it to you. If the police officer asks you for a statement, simply relate the facts. Do not try to make assumptions and don't discuss the accident with anyone else at the scene. Sometimes these statements made in the heat of the moment can come back to jeopardize the case later.

And lastly, if you have enough composure to do so, take a few notes with regard to the accident. Write down on a piece of paper what the road conditions were at the time of the accident, what the speed limit was, whether or not there was sufficient lighting and what the weather was like. Write a brief description of how the accident occurred. It is common for memories to fail once time has passed and you would be surprised how valuable these notes will become when you are asked at a later date to explain the accident.

If you have been involved in any type of accident that you believe was the fault of another person and have suffered personal injuries resulting from the accident, take a moment and fill out the "Quick Contact" form on the home page of this website. You may be eligible for compensation and the legal team at Napoli Bern Ripka Law Firm will work hard to get you everything you deserve.