If you have never been involved in a car collision before, it can be important to know what steps you should take ahead of time, particularly of the accident involves a hit-and-run driver. Know that a skilled car accident attorney can lead you through the proper steps following an Indianapolis hit-and-run accident, and can represent you in a settlement or court proceeding to advocate for your injury compensation. Read on to learn more about the most important steps following an Indianapolis hit-and-run accident that you should take, as well as the ways a dedicated lawyer could offer you their assistance today.
Taking Down the Details of the Scene
One of the most important steps following an Indianapolis hit-and-run accident involves trying to remember the details of the accident as best as possible. Individuals need to consciously try to remember and ideally write down a description of the vehicle with any specific descriptive uniqueness to that vehicle, whether it is a certain color, there was a dent in the side of the car, or the amount of damage to that car from the physical contact between the two vehicles was front-end or rear-end. In addition, it is important if a plaintiff can tell if there was more than one individual in the vehicle, as well as their sex, their race, if they made any comments, a plate number, a partial plate number, and their direction of travel upon leaving the scene.
Contacting a Professional Accident Attorney
First and foremost, a plaintiff needs to try to remember those things while it is still fresh in their mind. The next steps following an Indianapolis hit-and-run accident will include refusing to speak with any insurance company’s claim adjuster, including their own, without first seeking a consultation with an injury attorney to better understand what should be done. That attorney might direct them to talk to the claim adjuster if the individual does not have any injuries or if they have not started medical treatment.
Seeking Medical Treatment
For this reason, it is in their best to contact a professional who can give them some direction. If the plaintiff is injured, one of the most important steps following an Indianapolis hit-and-run accident involves going to their doctor’s office right away for medical treatment. An individual should not wait to seek treatment, because they could potentially be accused of receiving their injuries at a later time by an insurance adjuster. By seeing a doctor as soon as possible, a plaintiff can use their report as significant evidence to prove that their injuries were the direct cause of the crash.
An insurance adjuster will want to know a driver’s injuries, what they are treating for, and whether or not there is a way to prevent the individual from linking their injuries to the defendant’s actions. In addition, knowing that a lot of symptoms do not present themselves for several hours (and in some cases days), it is important to seek medical treatment right away just to make sure that a more serious, latent injury is not lurking around the corner. Then if there are symptoms after that, it is easier to prove the causal relationship of those injuries and damages with the crash.
