When you or a loved one has been hit by a vehicle or hit someone else with a vehicle, you may experience feelings of shock, confusion, and fear for what is to come. Depending on whether you are the responsible party or you were on the receiving end of the collision, you might not know what your next steps should be. In the wake of a car or bike accident, time is of the essence when dealing with this serious business.
How to Tell If You’ve Been in an Accident
Sometimes, we might not know if we’ve been in an accident. We might minimize our experiences and brush them off as a driver on the road making a mistake or a consequence of driving. When one vehicle crashes into a person, structure, vehicle, bike, or something else, an accident has occurred even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal to you at the time.
Take Comfort in Statistics
If you’re the responsible party in a car accident or suspect you may be the responsible party, you may panic as you envision the possibilities of a major trial, jail time, and other life-altering experiences. Although this might be a common trope in the media, the reality is that most car accident claims are settled before a trial even occurs. In fact, 95% of car accident claims are resolved before trial proceedings happen. While some cases may still make it to trial, most attorneys know that it is less expensive and time-consuming to figure out a solution for a car accident claim without going through the trial process.
Anyone Is at Risk
When you picture someone who could end up in a motorcycle or car accident, you may have a specific kind of image in mind. You might think that only young people, reckless drivers, or folks without responsibilities like jobs and families might get into accidents. Statistics show that anyone could be at risk of causing or being impacted by an accident. After all, 71% of motorcycle owners report being employed and 24% consider themselves retirees, so the makeup of motorcycle drivers on the road is as varied as any other type of driver.
Although some groups may seem more likely to cause accidents, the truth is that we all have the potential to get into an accident. While this is a sobering truth that can create fear in some folks, it’s the risk we take when we enjoy our freedom to drive on the open road or bustling highway. If you learn about how you should handle a car or bike accident, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to address the situation if it ever happens to you. You can also use this information to empower loved ones who experienced an accident.
Lean on the Facts
In any legal proceeding, the facts of the situation matter. To determine what happened, attorneys and court professionals may pull from a variety of sources. One of the most common sources that they may use is footage from a police officer’s recording device. According to a study that was done in 2015, law enforcement officers who wore cameras reported that they were more likely to see these devices as helpful in their public interactions by approximately 25.2%. If you’ve been in an accident that was witnessed by an officer who was recording it or you have a dash cam that recorded the crucial evidence, this can make you feel more confident that you’ll enjoy justice after your day in court or your pretrial negotiations.
After experiencing a car accident, you may be shaken and uncertain about the path forward. With the advice above, you’ll have the information you need to make informed decisions. Of course, someone in the legal services business will be most helpful for specific counsel.
