If you are involved in a Rhode Island Car Accident, there are many important steps you can take to protect your rights and help you get the best Personal Injury settlement Possible. You should contact a Rhode Island Personal Injury Lawyer immediately after the Auto Accident.

1. If you are injured or feeling any pain, obtain medical treatment as soon as possible. If you do not leave the scene of the automobile or motorcycle accident by ambulance than either go see your family doctor or go to an urgent care center. Your primary care Physician may refer you to a specialist. Many specialists will not see patients without a referral from a primary care physician.

2. Call the police and notify them of the car accident or truck accident. In Rhode Island (RI), the police must be notified of almost all accidents.

3. Do not miss medical appointments! Make sure your doctors are informed of all areas where you are in pain. Do not exaggerate your symptoms but also don’t minimize the pain and suffering. Keep your doctor informed of all symptoms. Remember, an Insurance Adjuster will be poring over your medical records seeking to find inconsistencies, to discredit your allegations or to minimize the pain and suffering that you have endured.

4. Remember, as far as the insurance company is concerned, if you are not treating you are not suffering. In other words, do not expect to receive damages for lengthy periods of time when you are not treating but you claim that you are still in pain.

5. Keep your Rhode Island Personal Injury Lawyers informed of all medical providers, chiropractors, physical therapist, massage therapists, hospitals and urgent care centers that you have treated with. Keep track of dates of treatment and what occurred during the treatment. Keep track of all medication. Save receipts for all medication.

6. It is usually a good idea to retain a Rhode Island Personal Injury Attorney before you give a statement to the insurance company. The Insurance Company is not the enemy but they certainly are not your friend. They are trying to give you the least amount of money as possible or even potentially deny you’re the claim.

7. Take pictures immediately after the accident of your vehicle, the other vehicles and the scene of the car / auto crash. Take pictures of any visible injury, scarring or bruising. With a bruise you want to get a picture when it looks the worst. Do not have your automobile repaired until you have taken pictures of the damages.

8. Do not sign medical releases for the insurance company. The RI Personal Injury Lawyer will collect your medical records for you and submit them to the insurance company. You do not want to give the Insurance Company unfettered and uncontrolled access to your medical records!.

9. If you get cited for a motor vehicle violation, hire a RI lawyer to represent you. If you are found guilty or responsible for the Motor Vehicle accident then your case may be severely impaired. The implications of not contesting a citation or pleading guilty could be detrimental to your Personal Injury Claim.

10. Do not let the insurance adjuster influence you to settle the car accident prior to retaining a Rhode Island Personal injury Lawyer. The Insurance Adjuster wants you to take as little money as possible and they want to keep you away from a Rhode Island Automobile Accident Lawyer who can explain your legal rights to you.

Car accidents are unfortunate occurrences that happen quite frequently. Because of the risk of a car accident caused by another driver, it is important to know what steps to take after the event. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of what to do after an accident because they never expected to get into an accident in the first place. However, even the safest drivers should know what to do in case of an accident so that they have all of the information they need to file a claim with their insurance company.

• Exit the vehicle and move to a safe area, out of the danger of other traffic.
• Check to make sure that no one, including yourself, is injured. If anyone is injured, seek medical assistance immediately by calling 9-1-1.
• Contact the police, no matter how minor the accident seems. For insurance and legal reasons, it is important to have an accurate and official police report on file. When the police arrive, ask how to obtain a copy of the accident report. Do not leave the scene until the police officer has finished filing the report.
• Collect information from the other party. Write down the other party’s name, address, phone number, insurance company, vehicle description, and vehicle identification number (VIN). It is important to note the VIN, not just the license plate number, since most insurance companies only hold this information.
• Do not discuss the details of the accident with anyone other than the police. No matter how shaken up you are, resist the urge to talk about liability or fault with anyone else involved. Anything you say about the accident can later be used against you if the other party decides to pursue legal action.
• Call your car insurance company. Tell them the details of the accident as soon as possible, even if you are still at the scene of the accident.
• Contact your car insurance agent. Call your car insurance company immediately, even if you are still at the scene. In some cases a police officer might be able to provide more accurate information to your insurance agent.
• Contact a car accident lawyer. A car accident lawyer can help determine who is at fault for the incident and can help you pursue necessary legal action. With the help of an experienced and qualified car accident lawyer, you may be able to receive compensation from the party responsible for the accident to help cover your losses.

Rhode Island Attorneys legal Notice per RI Rules of Professional Responsibility:

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers / attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer or attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.