FIVE THINGS TO DO IF YOU’RE INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN NORTH CAROLINA

FIVE THINGS TO DO IF YOU’RE INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN NORTH CAROLINA

If you are in an auto accident in North Carolina, you should speak to an experienced auto accident attorney to protect your right to recover for your injuries. If the accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, the attorney can seek compensation for any medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and any other losses incurred because of the accident. That way, you can focus on your recovery and ensure that your rights are being protected.

After a car accident, you should consider following these simple steps:

1. Call 911 – Even if it is just a minor auto accident, the police should be called to the scene. Without a police report, insurance companies will often deny your claim. Plus, injuries are often not immediately noticeable due to the initial shock of the auto accident.  By calling 911, a record is created and both law enforcement and emergency medical personnel will be dispatched to the scene and will document the accident.

2. Seek medical treatment – Injuries from car accidents may not show up immediately, even major ones. If you did not immediately go to the emergency room, you should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible. When you speak to the doctor, it is important to explain each detail of the accident, even if you don’t consider it significant at the time. This allows the doctor to properly evaluate any potential health problems.

3. Notify your insurance company – Your insurance company and the other driver’s insurance company both need to be notified of the accident immediately.  At this time, you should not make any statements about the accident or sign any documents or offers to settle until you have spoken to an attorney about the car accident.

4. Get a copy of the police report – If law enforcement was called to the scene of the accident, a report will be prepared by the responding officer.  This report is critical in establishing fault in all vehicle accidents. A copy of the report may be obtained by calling the responding law enforcement agency. Additionally, if the accident was investigated by the police departments of the following cities, you may obtain a report online: Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Graham,  North Carolina Highway Patrol, a copy of the report may be obtained online within days.

5. Keep good records – Recovering from insurance companies requires good record keeping. The insurance company will want a copy of everything involving the accident: crash report, medical records, car estimates, mechanic bills, lost wages etc. You should keep everything having the do with the accident in one file and provide a copy of everything to your attorney.

If you’re involved in an auto accident in North Carolina, call Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC today for a free consultation. 919.277.0161 or visit our website: www.hemmingsandstevens.com

North Carolina DWI Auto Fatalities

The Associated Press reports that a recent “Booze It & Lose It” campaign in North Carolina netted nearly 2,900 people driving under the influence over an eighteen-day period that included Labor Day weekend. 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported that from August 16, 2013 through September 2, 2013, 2,866 people were arrested for drunk driving.  Statistics showed Wake County had the most arrests in the state with 257. There were 220 arrests in Guilford County, followed by Mecklenburg County with 181 and Forsyth County with 118.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), with 389 drunk driving deaths in the State of North Carolina in 2010, and 365 in 2011, our State ranks as one of the most dangerous in the country for drunk driving fatalities.

If you or a family member have been in an auto accident involving a drunk driver, contact the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens PLLC for a free consultation about your case with an attorney.