By Car crashes happen more often than we think. It’s not always the drivers of the cars who are affected by the crash. Sometimes innocent bystanders, other passengers, or those in vicinity of the crash can get injured. If you are such a victim, you can file for a personal injury claim against the party that’s at fault for the car accident. Read along to learn about how to initiate this process:
Hire a Specialised Attorney
Not all attorneys are knowledgeable about filing claims for car crash victims. Do not hire a criminal attorney or a regular personal injury attorney for your claim. For the best results, you need attorneys who specialise in handling claims rising for car crashes. Therefore, look specifically for local motor vehicle accident lawyers Perth. These attorneys would have the necessary knowledge, skill, and experience to handle a claim such as yours. Experience is extremely valuable when handling personal injury claims, given that most such cases are settled out of court in Australia.
Document Evident at the Scene
If you are not seriously injured at the scene of the crash, you should try to document evidence of your minor injury. Try to take photographs of the damage done, such as damage to your person or property. You should document damage done to other people, vehicles, or property as well. If possible, get personal details of everyone involved. Such information will be immensely useful to when filing your claim.
Keep in mind that if you are seriously injured, you must seek medical attention immediately. When you have stabilised, you can try to get personal information of potential witnesses who might give evidence in your favour. Report the crash to the police if it hasn’t been already and note down the case number.
Inform the Insurance Agency
If your vehicle is involved, you need to call your insurer as well. Inform your insurer that you are intending to file for a personal injury claim from them. The insurer will carry out its own investigation to determine how much blame can be assigned to them. You will have to wait to sort out liability with the insurance agency. The agency and the police could find out at fault for an accident even to a minor degree. In that case, you can accept blame and have the insurer take liability for the incident.
You can also claim for compensation from the party responsible for the crash in case it’s not you. This would be a personal injury claim. You can claim damages for any physical injuries or property damages resulting from the actions of the party at fault for the car crash.
Determining the Degree of Compensation
The amount you can claim will depend on various factors. Mainly, it will depend on the damage caused to your person or property, the severity of such damage, and how responsible the other party is. This would be something you should discuss with your personal injury attorney. It’s important to demand an accurate compensation figure for your claim to be taken seriously. Be aware that you could lose value of your claim under certain circumstances, such as not wearing a seatbelt if you were in the car.
Not all personal injury claims are proven. However, it will depend on the circumstances and the skill of the lawyer. Therefore, take your time to hire a great attorney to handle your case. Also, don’t forget to gather evidence freshly to strengthen your claim.
