What to Do After an Auto Accident in Monmouth County, NJ or Ocean County, NJ
Results-Focused Personal Injury Attorneys in Toms River Help Clients Protect Their Rights and Interests after Motor Vehicle Accidents
When you are involved in a car accident, it can be a shocking, disorienting experience, especially if you’ve never been in an accident before. You may not be sure about what to do or say. But knowing what steps to take following your accident may be the difference in putting yourself in the best position if you need to make a claim for compensation for your injuries and damages.
If you or a loved one have been in an auto accident in Monmouth or Ocean Counties, let the attorneys at Drazin & Warshaw help you understand your rights and options and guide you through the process of recovering after a motor vehicle accident.
Steps to Take After Being in an Auto Accident in Monmouth County, NJ or Ocean County, NJ
After you’ve been in an auto accident, there are a few steps and tips to remember in the hours and days following your accident that can best help you protect your rights and options for seeking compensation for your injuries and damages:
- Call 911 or police – If you or someone else involved in the accident, call 911 for emergency medical services. Even if no one has been injured, you should still contact police to have an officer come to the accident scene to prepare a police accident report. This report is often critical evidence in an auto accident claim since the report details evidence from the accident scene and may even set forth the officer’s opinion as to who was at fault for the accident.
- Stick to the facts when giving a statement – When you speak to a police officer, an insurance adjuster, or another driver involved in the accident, avoid offering an apology or trying to discuss blame or fault for the accident. Instead, just give the facts of the accident as you remember them. Statements about fault may later be used to argue that you are to blame for the accident.
- Get contact and insurance information for the other drivers involved – If it’s not listed in the police accident report, you should be sure to get the contact and insurance information from the other drivers, in case you need to file a claim against them or their insurance.
- Document the accident scene – If possible, you should try to take photographs or videos of the accident scene. If you had visible injuries, you should photograph them as well.
- Seek medical treatment – Even if you don’t feel hurt at the scene, you should still follow up with your doctor or medical provider or soon after. It may take days or even weeks to begin experiencing pain or other symptoms from injuries that your doctor may be able to identify in an examination. You should also be sure to follow your provider’s treatment instructions; otherwise, the other party may try to claim that you are not as seriously injured as you allege
Lastly, you should make time as soon as possible to speak with an experienced auto accident attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options and to begin the process of pursuing compensation for your injuries and damages.
Auto Accident Attorneys at Drazin & Warshaw Fight to Secure Needed Financial Compensation for Accident Victims
At Drazin & Warshaw, our personal injury attorneys have worked diligently to secure favorable outcomes for our clients injured in auto accidents for more than 70 years. Our firm uses the collective experience and knowledge of our attorneys, along with our firm’s technological resources and relationships with industry-leading experts to help build a strong, persuasive legal claim to the financial compensation you need and deserve.
We’ve seen how insurance companies may try to avoid paying the full and fair compensation that an injured auto accident victim deserves. When you hire Drazin & Warshaw to represent you in your claim, you can be sure that we will not rest until we obtain the best possible outcome for you in your auto accident case.
Contact a New Jersey Auto Accident Attorney at Drazin & Warshaw Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
A motor vehicle accident can be a traumatic, life-changing event no matter the circumstances of your crash. But when your accident was caused by the negligence or default of other drivers or parties, it can leave you feeling angry at having to deal with repair bills and medical expenses, all while you may be out of work and unable to earn an income. Let the experienced auto accident attorneys at Drazin & Warshaw help you understand the process of seeking the recovery you deserve following an accident that wasn’t your fault. Schedule a free case evaluation with us today to learn more about your rights and options following your accident.
Frequently Asked Questions about Auto Accidents in Monmouth County, NJ and Ocean County, NJ
FAQ: How long do I have to file a lawsuit after an auto accident in New Jersey?After your auto accident, New Jersey law states that you have two years to file a lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries. This period may be extended in certain circumstances, such as when the injured party is a minor child, or if the injured party was the victim of a hit-and-run and does not immediately discover the identity of the other driver. If you file your lawsuit after the two-year statute of limitations expires in your case, the trial court can permanently dismiss your lawsuit. In addition, if you are involved in an auto accident with a government vehicle, you have an even shorter period of time in which to provide the government with notice of your claim for compensation.
FAQ: What happens if the other driver tries to argue that I was at fault for the accident?After your accident, the important thing to remember is not to offer an apology or try to assign blame for the accident — your statements may later be used as evidence that you were at fault. Let the insurance companies and attorneys sort out fault for your accident. Even if you are found to share some portion of fault for your auto accident, you may still be entitled to seek compensation under New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence rule, provided that you are not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, your compensation from the other party will be reduced by your percentage of fault for the accident.
