When you woke up this morning, you never thought about being the victim of someone’s reckless actions or negligent behavior. Unfortunately, it can happen without notice and a catastrophic injury can impact every aspect of your life, including your job and your family’s financial future. After major automobile accidents, big trucking accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, motorcycle accidents, and bicycle or pedestrian accidents, some victims never recover completely. Even though you were not at fault for the accident, a growing number of medical bills and an inability to work can create an urgent need for financial support to keep your family afloat. While every accident case is different, our personal injury and wrongful death attorneys have a history of putting in the hard work to obtain a favorable settlement for accident victims.
Although you may be fully aware of the steps you should take following an accident, things happen very fast at the scene. Moreover, if you sustained severe injuries and find yourself in the back of an ambulance, you may not be able to exchange insurance information, take photos, or talk to eyewitnesses. Nonetheless, when there is an accident involving serious injuries, law enforcement will be called to the scene to question witnesses and document unbiased evidence that details how the accident occurred. This includes making notes of physical indicators, such as tire marks on the road, dangers posed by existing structures, or weather conditions that may have contributed to the cause. A thorough report may even include an admittance of fault, statements from those questioned and citations issued, or arrests made. In most cases, you will be able to obtain a copy of the police report within a few days online.
Whether you find yourself hospitalized awaiting surgery or were treated and sent home to begin your recovery, there can be frustrations over what you should do next. An unfortunate few will wake in a hospital bed without any recollection of what happened. Nonetheless, what you do not want to do is speak with the at-fault’s insurance carrier. Insurance companies have adjusters and lawyers that are experienced in trying to settle an accident claim swiftly and for the least amount of money. So, it is important to understand that nothing you can say is going to help your chances of obtaining the compensation that you may need to rebuild your life. You, or your loved one, could even require ongoing skilled nursing care and home improvements to accommodate a temporary or permanent disability as well as other unexpected expenses.
Following a damaging accident, what you can do is contact a reputable personal injury law firm. When you choose Schackow & Mercadante, we will immediately get to work documenting a compelling case on your behalf. For nearly fifty years, our legal team has been righting wrongs and helping injured clients rebuild lives after debilitating injuries including traumatic brain injury, severe burns, fractures, spinal cord damage, paralysis, amputations, life-altering internal injuries, and disfigurement. Catastrophic injuries often require ongoing hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and lengthy rehabilitation in addition to in-home medical care. Rebuild your life, it can require much more than simply investigating an accident scene and interviewing witnesses. You need a legal team that can chart a course from your present to your future.
If you are helping a loved one recover from a serious accident, contact an attorney today that understands the complexities of rebuilding a victim’s life. Call Schackow & Mercadante and schedule a consultation, so we can review and discuss the details of your case.