Top 10 Priorities After a Car Accident
If you’ve recently been injured in a serious car accident, your very first priorities should be to attend to immediate traffic safety issues and then to get the proper medical care so you can heal from your injuries. After your medical care is underway, however, your family’s thoughts may turn to dealing with important administrative tasks. While these tasks may seem mundane, failure to ensure these issues are covered may come with serious consequences. What are the top 10 priorities after a car accident? Read on to learn more.
Mike Ritchie discusses the first steps to take after a car accident:
Priority 1: Contacting Other Family Members
If a loved one has suffered a serious injury, it will likely be important to contact other members of the family to inform them of the incident. Updating family members about the injured person’s medical status and location, if hospitalized, is very important. Often, family members and close friends can serve as important contacts for assistance throughout the recovery period.
Priority 2: Arranging for Child Care
Another priority after a serious injury is arranging for child care and school pick-up for any children under the care of the accident victim. This is often an overlooked step and can send family members scrambling to find last-minute coverage if not addressed early. Contacting extended family and children’s friends is often a good first step for short-term coverage.
Priority 3: Notifying the Injured Person’s Employer
Another task that can fall through the cracks after a serious car accident is notifying the injured person’s employer. Even if a return to work date isn’t known, notifying the employer of the accident is very important. The employer may be able to provide information about insurance coverage — health insurance, short-term disability insurance, etc.
Maintaining communication with the employer throughout the process is also helpful if a quick return to work is anticipated, as the employer can provide information about available sick leave, vacation availability, and FMLA possibilities.
Priority 4: Arranging for the Deposit of Payroll Checks
If the injured person receives a paper payroll check rather than direct deposit, you may want to check with the employer to determine whether direct deposit is an option. Direct deposit of payroll for wages, sick time, etc., may be more convenient than trying to retrieve a paper payroll check for each payroll period.
Priority 5: Checking the Status of Rent/House Payments
Maintaining rent or mortgage payments while the injured person isn’t working will be extremely important during this time of recuperation. The injured person will have enough to deal with and doesn’t need an eviction notice in addition to everything else. If needed, landlords may be willing to forego mortgage or rent payments for a month or so if the renter has not been previously delinquent.
Priority 6: Confirming Car and Utility Payments are Current
Along the same lines as the mortgage or rent, it is also important to confirm the status of car and utility payments and determine payment due dates.
Priority 7: Checking Auto and Health Insurance Policies for Possible Coverage
If the injured person was in an auto accident and has automobile insurance coverage of their own, someone will need to check the auto policy to determine whether there is medical expenses coverage, which could help to cover medical expenses. Also, if the person at-fault doesn’t have a sufficient amount of insurance coverage, underinsured coverage on the injured person’s policy may kick in and provide needed coverage.
Someone should also make certain that all healthcare providers have the correct billing information for the injured person’s health insurance.
Priority 8: Checking for “Disability” Insurance for Car or Home Loans
Some car loans and mortgages include the option for purchase of a disability insurance policy that will pay monthly payments in case of disability. If the injured person purchased this option, this may assist them in making car or rent/mortgage payments.
Priority 9: Obtaining Names and Phone Numbers of Treating Physicians
Having quick access to the names and telephone numbers for the injured person’s treating physicians can be very helpful for reporting changes in condition and asking questions about treatment.
Priority 10: Scheduling a Free Consultation With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations to talk with an injured party about their case. Even if you decide not to hire a lawyer, the consultation doesn’t cost you anything and you may get some helpful advice about how to handle the claim.
Talk with a Virginia Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident, the Ritchie Law Firm is here to help. The experienced, certified attorneys at the Ritchie Law Firm will make certain you get the medical treatment and compensation you need to heal and get back on your feet. DON’T GET HURT TWICE!! We have helped thousands of injured people get the money they deserve they deserve for their injuries.
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Ritchie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm devoted to helping individuals who have suffered serious and catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligence. Ritchie Law Firm serves all of Virginia, while helping clients in cities and surrounding areas of Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Staunton, and Winchester also serves clients in West Virginia, including Martinsburg, WV.
