The first few minutes after a car accident can be overwhelming. When you discover the other driver has fled the scene, the situation can become that much more stressful. As a hit-run-victim, it’s important to understand what to do immediately following an accident. Taking the proper steps to ensure you take care of your health, make the proper reports, and document important information will help you down the line when you’re trying to seek compensation for your losses related to the accident.

Stay Where You Are

After a hit-and-run, you might have the urge to go after the driver that hit you. This is never a good idea. For one, there’s no way to know the extent of your injuries or how damaged your vehicle is. Chasing the other driver down could also put you in a dangerous situation and compromise your chances for receiving the compensation you need to recover.

Auto accidents can be burdensome in more than one way. It’s likely you’ll need to figure out how to repair your vehicle or get a new one. You’ll also have to deal with insurance companies and complex policies. When you’ve been injured, no matter how severe, those burdens are amplified. It’s important to remember, however, that property damage and insurance policies can wait if you have physical injuries that need to be taken care of.

You’ll likely want to deal with everything at once after your crash in an attempt to move past the incident as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, physical injuries often take time to heal, and focusing on your recovery is paramount. Before returning to your normal schedule and work hours, you’ll want to ensure you are healed or at least at a place where you can work without injury yourself further. Let’s take a look at five of the ways you can maximize your recovery time after a vehicular collision.

Drivers are often familiar with road safety, but may neglect to provide that same care and awareness to their tires. When a vehicle doesn’t have the correct tires or aren’t properly cared for, there’s an increased chance that the tires could cause an accident on the road. A tire failure while driving often causes severe injuries because it’s difficult to maintain control of the vehicle.

There are a number of factors that play into why an automobile crash happens. While we most often think of driver negligence, there are instances where road conditions or ambiguous traffic signs can contribute to an accident. Whether you mostly drive around town or have a long, daily highway commute to work, it’s important to be aware of where the most dangerous spots are for travel. This awareness may help you avoid situations that could result in a wreck.

Distracted driving has become one of America’s leading causes of preventable car accidents, injuries, and deaths. While this can include any form of risky multi-tasking – from personal grooming and eating or drinking to conversing with passengers or reading maps – it most notably includes text messaging and the use of handheld smart phones. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has cited distracted driving as a national epidemic that killed nearly 4,000 victims in 2016 alone, and which is a leading factor behind recent surges in fatal traffic accidents nationwide.

With such alarming data on distracted driving collected in recent years, many states across the country have taken steps to regulate the use of cell phones behind the wheel. This includes Pennsylvania, which enforces the following laws:

• State law prohibits all drivers from texting while driving.
• Motorists are prohibited from wearing headphones and earbuds while driving.
• Talking on a handheld cell phone is illegal only for commercial drivers.

While there is a texting ban in place in Pennsylvania, it has not been very effective, nor has it been successfully enforced, according to newly released data from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Additionally, unlike other states, Pennsylvania does not have a law regulating handheld cell phone use for non-commercial drivers, meaning cell phone use that isn’t considered texting, such as using apps, e-mail, or placing calls.

Apologies can be a polite way to express concern when you make a mistake or when something accidental happens. While it may be a natural reaction for many people after knocking something over or bumping into another person, even if it wasn’t necessarily their fault, apologizing should be something you avoid after a car accident, as it can create complications in any personal injury case you choose to pursue.

At Shrager & Sachs, our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers have extensive experience advocating on behalf of victims injured in all types of car accidents. Throughout the years our firm has been serving residents of Pennsylvania and beyond, we have seen victims make various mistakes that jeopardize their rights simply as a result of their unfamiliarity with the personal injury claim process, as well as their lack of knowledge regarding the unsavory tactics of insurance companies. Apologies are among the most common.

Our attorney, Robert L. Sachs, Jr. recently joined the Rideshare Law Group project. The Rideshare Law Group is made up of personal injury lawyers who have a passion for providing legal assistance to people who have been injured in rideshare accidents and are not sure how to handle the complications that often comes with these types of cases.

When rideshare companies are involved in an accident case for one of their drivers, insurance settlements and injury claims become even more complicated than your standard accident case. Not only do these cases become more complex when rideshare companies are at the table, but the accident victim tends to get offered an unfair settlement amount that won’t even cover their injury expenses.

The attorneys at the Rideshare Law Group take on cases all over the country and have familiarized themselves with rideshare insurance policies and the practices that are commonly used by these companies when they offer an accident victim an unfair settlement award.

Motorcycles are considered motor vehicles by law, and riders have the same rights and responsibilities as any driver. However, due to their smaller size and the lack of protection they provide riders, motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable motorists on our roads. As such, riders have greater needs to remain vigilant and defensive when sharing public roads and highways with other vehicles.

Unfortunately, as we have seen throughout the years representing victims of auto accidents across Philadelphia and the state on Pennsylvania, even the most vigilant riders can suffer harm when others around them are negligent – often with devastating consequences. When preventable injuries occur, including catastrophic injuries, riders have every right to pursue legal action against the at-fault party, hold them accountable for their failures, and recover financial compensation for their damages.

If you are involved in a car accident, you may think you are unharmed just because you don’t feel any pain. However, sometimes your injuries may not present themselves until days after the crash. Such injuries include soft tissue damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons, as well as concussions and whiplash. If you wait to see a doctor, insurance companies will try to prove that the injuries did not result from the crash. With this in mind, you can still pursue compensation for injuries that are not immediately apparent.

Since 1978, Shrager & Sachs has represented hundreds of clients in personal injury cases. Our compassionate attorneys work hard to provide effective solutions to legal problems. We can represent you in court as you seek a favorable outcome.

Here is one story of how we helped a truck driver obtain a settlement after an accident.

The Incident

Horris Wilson is an over-the-road tractor-trailer driver. One day, he was driving a “bobtail” run (driving only the tractor without the trailer) when an auto carrier tractor-trailer hit him from behind. After the accident, the driver who rear-ended Wilson admitted to police that he was traveling nearly 45 miles per hour. Wilson’s truck sustained extensive damage, and he was also injured as a result of the crash.

Legal Challenges

Mr. Wilson’s case presented certain difficulties because of his inconsistent medical treatment. He received some treatment from the local hospital in Lancaster County, PA after the accident. However, he didn’t receive more treatment until arriving back home in Michigan several days later. An independent medical examiner diagnosed post-concussive syndrome, cervical and lumbosacral strain and sprain, and a torn rotator cuff.