How Can I Strengthen My Claim Against a Distracted Driver?

If everyone kept their phones stowed while behind the wheel and avoided falling victim to other common distractions en route, there would be 3,000 fewer traffic fatalities every single year. There would also be significantly fewer collision-related injuries.

While taking action against distracted drivers doesn’t erase the devastation they’ve caused, it often yields the compensation needed to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. If you want to seek damages from someone who wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings while maneuvering in traffic, you can give your claim the best chance of success by taking the following steps:

1. Visit a Doctor

Naturally, your first priority following a wreck should be your health. Even if you feel relatively okay, you could have suffered impact injuries that aren’t manifesting any symptoms yet. As such, it’s imperative to visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Once you do start treatment, it’s also important that you follow all medical advice. Personal injury claimants must show that they took reasonable measures to mitigate damages. Otherwise, they could be deemed partially liable for their severity.

2. Preserve Valuable Evidence

Transfer any photos you took of the wreckage to a reliable hard drive. You should also compile all the names and phone numbers you wrote down before leaving the scene into a single document. Then, store it in a safe place.

If you happen to have a dash camera, don’t forget to preserve the footage from the day of the accident, as well. Chances are you’ll have to transfer it manually to a hard drive or cloud storage platform before it’s overwritten.

3. Record Injury-Related Expenses

You’re going to have to present proof for every loss you hope to recover. As such, you should get in the habit of saving all invoice, receipts, and bills for the expenses you incur as a result of your injuries.

You should also start a journal in which you write about the recovery process and how the limitations imposed by your condition are affecting your everyday life. These entries will be especially helpful when it comes time to seek non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

4. Limit Your Online Activity

Personal injury attorneys generally advise their clients to stay off social media until their claims have been resolved. Insurance adjusters tend to monitor online activity, and you don’t want to give them any reason to challenge your credibility.

5. Seek Legal Counsel

A resourceful lawyer can handle virtually every aspect of your claim, so you’re free to focus on your health. And if you hire one right away, your attorney will have the opportunity to help you build a strong case from day one.

Discuss Your Claim with a Car Accident Attorney in Stuart

If you were struck by a distracted driver, you deserve the opportunity to hold them accountable. For help building a claim against the liable party, turn to Donaldson & Weston.

We have counseled more than 10,000 clients in a broad range of practice areas. To schedule your free case review with a car accident lawyer in Stuart, fill out our Online Contact Form or call 772-266-5555.