Suffering from a car accident is a confusing time. Drivers must act responsibly on the road and in the event of a crash. While you may act responsibly, other drivers may not, leading to an accident. After an accident, you need to stop your vehicle and remain until emergency services respond. If injured or your car is unmovable, stay where you are. Remain calm and take pictures of the collision site. When the police arrive, they will conduct their investigation. A Philadelphia car accident attorney will conduct an investigation when they are retained.
How does a police investigation work?
Police officers will play a crucial role at a crash scene. Their vital role is to determine who and what caused the crash. The more severe the accident, the more substantial the injuries and the longer the assessment takes. The role of a police officer at an accident scene is to gather evidence, speak with witnesses, check on the parties involved in the collision, and document the incident. After the injured parties have been transported and a police investigation is complete, the scene will be cleared.
Once the scene is cleared, police will file a preliminary report regarding the collision. Within this report will be the officer’s determination of who the at-fault party is. The official police report is essential to a car accident claim. The court will consider the police officer's assessment in a case. The report will also determine how a car accident lawyer will handle the claim.
What does the insurance company do?
You are required to report an accident to the insurance company. Once the insurance company receives your report, it will assign a claims adjuster to the case. The insurance company investigation will review the accident report, speak to the other driver involved, and request proof of damages. To determine damages, a claims adjuster will examine the vehicle.
The insurance company will also need to assess the severity of your injuries. You will need to allow them access to your medical file. Once all this data is collected, the claims adjuster will determine the amount of your claim. The insurance company will offer the lowest amount possible for your claim. If you disagree with the assessment, you can negotiate. Retain a car accident attorney to handle negotiations.
How are wrongful death claims handled?
When a loved one dies in a car accident, they cannot speak for themselves. The family is left with an immeasurable loss. Collisions resulting in a wrongful death are handled differently from other crashes. The police investigation follows the same steps as above. However, there is one key difference. The at-fault party may face criminal charges in a fatal accident. The most common criminal charge is criminal homicide in accidents resulting from reckless conduct. However, not every fatal accident results in criminal charges.
Fatal collisions are taken seriously, and charges will be filed in certain circumstances. A car accident attorney will thoroughly investigate the crash and identify the liable party or parties. You may assume the driver is the only party who can be held responsible after a crash, but that is not true. Several other parties can be liable for a car accident.
Under dram shop laws, bartenders and others who serve drinks to a visibly intoxicated person can be held liable if the party causes a collision. If a defective product caused the crash, the product manufacturer would be the guilty party. An employer can be held responsible for claims if they employed a dangerous driver.
How can a car accident attorney help?
You need to retain a car accident attorney immediately after a crash. An experienced attorney will investigate to find any underlying concerns. While an attorney may not be at the scene, they have resources available to reconstruct the accident. Call Kwartler Manus, LLC at (267) 457-5570 or through our online contact form.