After getting into a car accident, the shock and adrenaline of a high-pressure situation could make it hard to know how to handle the crisis. However, there are proper steps to take after a Memphis side-impact collision and following these instructions can help you get the medical treatment you require immediately and the compensation you deserve later.
To recover this compensation, you can benefit from an experienced side-impact accident attorney such as David E. Gordon. Once the crisis is settled, he can help file a claim for damages and deal with the insurance companies so that you can focus on healing from your injuries.
What Situations May Result in a Side-Impact Accident?
There are several situations that could result in a what is known as a T-bone collision. This type of accident is common when a driver pulls out from private driveway to go left and does not look both ways before they turn. If the driver fails to keep a lookout for traffic coming from their left, they may be T-boned on the driver’s side of the car. This situation may not actually be the fault of the person who collided with the side of another’s car. If the person who pulled out of the driveway was not adhering to the right-of-way, they could bear the liability of the wreck.
Side-impact accidents can also occur in situations where local traffic is heavy. Roadways such as Poplar Avenue, Union Avenue, and Germantown Parkway in the Memphis area are common sites for wrecks in general. When traffic is heavy on these roadways, drivers will sometimes start to make room for another driver to enter the roadway from a commercial driveway or shopping center exit. If multiple lanes of traffic stop for a car to turn into traffic, but a car from another lane does not stop, this could result in a serious T-bone crash.
Seeking Medical Attention for Injuries in Memphis
The damage that T-bone accidents could cause can be devastating, and the closer the impact is to the driver’s side, the more likely the person will be injured. The possibility of injury also increases with higher rates of speed.
A person involved in a side-impact collision case is usually severely injured, as this type of crash is one of the most dangerous. Taking a full impact from another car on the side of the vehicle that is least protected is difficult for a human body to withstand. There is usually injury to the left side of that driver’s body, perhaps in the shoulder, arm, hip, knee, or maybe all of the above. The very first step a person who has been hit in a side-impact crash should take is seeking medical attention as soon as possible.
Contacting the Memphis Police to File a Report
Drivers should always call the police after a car accident as well. Even if they do not think there have been any injuries, they still should call the police so that fault can be properly recorded. The other driver could act as though they are very sorry about what happened at the scene and urge the injured person to let each driver fix their own car or promise that they will fix the other person’s damages as long as they do not involve the police.
Or, they could tell them that they do not need to call the police and only need to involve the insurance companies. However, these scenarios could leave open the opportunity for the other driver to change their story to their insurance company. They could claim that they were not at fault because the other driver was speeding, driving in the turn lane, or paying attention to their phone.
The defendant driver’s insurance company will not fix the other driver’s car if there is no proof of fault on behalf of the insured driver. Calling the police after an accident is essential to ensuring that false information is not recorded, and fault is properly assigned.
Retrieving Witness Information After a T-Bone Accident
It is also important to get the names of any witnesses to the accident. Drivers may think that the Memphis police are going to get all the names, addresses, and phone numbers of witnesses, but attorneys have found that police typically do not get this information.
Witnesses can be important later on when filing a claim. However, if a driver is badly injured, they will not be able to get this information. This step can also be done by a family member who came onto the scene later to provide support for the injured person.
The Last Step to Take After a Memphis Side-Impact Collision is Calling Your Attorney
Knowing the proper steps to take after a Memphis side-impact collision can make all the difference later on when you are fighting for compensation. Drivers should always seek medical attention, have a police report filed, and get the information of the witnesses.
The next step to take is to reach out to a knowledgeable lawyer that can use the information you have gathered to help you file a claim for compensation against the negligent driver. David E. Gordon can also help you find medical resources and handle the other driver’s insurance company. To get started, call today for a free consultation.
