Personal Injury Dos and Don’ts

In the event that you or someone you care for is involved in a personal injury accident, it’s very helpful to know some do’s and don’ts ahead of time. This knowledge will help you keep your cool in an emergency and help you from making a mistake that could jeopardize your rights to a legal remedy of some kind for any harm you or a loved one has suffered. Here are some of the Dos and Don’ts of personal injury:

First, the Dos

• DO call the police and have them conduct an investigation. The insurance companies will want copies of any reports.
• In the event of an accident, DO seek proper medical attention before you do anything else.
• DO cooperate with all emergency response personnel who arrive at the scene of the accident, including police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.
• Make sure that you DO get necessary personal and vehicle information from anyone who was involved in the accident, such as drivers’ names, license plate numbers, telephone numbers and insurance information. This information will also be in police reports.
• If the personal injury is from an animal bite or attack, DO gather information about the animal’s owner if possible, such as name, address and contact information.
• DO document the names and contact information of anyone who may have witnessed an accident.
• DO contact the appropriate insurance companies that issued policies for you, even if you were not at fault. This is generally homeowner or car insurance.
• With a cell phone or other digital camera, DO photograph anything relevant to the personal injury, such as the place where the accident occurred, any property damage, your injuries or those of other people, the animal or product that caused the injuries and the surrounding area as soon as possible after the accident.
• DO contact your Florida personal injury attorney.

Personal Injury Don’ts

• Unless it presents a safety hazard of some kind, DON’T move your vehicle from the accident scene unless required by law.
• DON’T leave the scene of an accident unless cleared by the police to do so.
• DON’T dispose of anything that could potentially be a piece of evidence in a personal injury case.
• If you should find yourself in a burning building, DON’T stay inside while calling 911. Run outside and make the call from a safe distance away instead.
• In the wake of an accident of some kind, DON’T discuss who was at fault with anyone and DON’T make any apologies. In some cases, an apology may be viewed as an admission of negligence.
• DON’T sign any documents or agree to any type of settlement without contacting your Florida personal injury lawyer first.

These personal injury DOs and DON’Ts are for general your information and to prevent you from inadvertently jeopardizing your right to legal remedy if you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury of some kind. If you or someone you care for has been in an accident or suffered some type of injury, call Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham for a free consultation at 877-FL-INJURY.