No one plans for a personal injury accident. By their very nature, accidents are unexpected; and serious accidents that result in personal injuries happen when you least expect them. Williamson, Clune & Stevens, personal injury attorneys in Ithaca, are community-focused lawyers with a stellar track record of serving Ithaca-area residents in upstate New York since 1978.
When accidents and personal injuries happen, our talented attorneys want you to know how to respond and where to turn for assistance. We handle personal injury claims related to vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, serious injuries and wrongful death events. While no one can see an accident coming, here’s some ways to react in your own behalf.
What You Should Do When You Suffer a Personal Injury
In any type of accident, your first priority is your personal safety. Immediately after the accident, if you are able, you should evaluate your own injuries and abilities to move. If you are in an unsafe location, move to a safer area. Try to determine the locations and extent of your own injuries.
Personal Safety Basics
- Dial 911 or ask a nearby person to do so and report the accident.
- Make sure your breathing is unimpeded. Try to relax and breathe normally.
- Locate any bleeding and apply pressure to stop it, if possible.
- Try not to move any more than necessary until evaluated by emergency medical professionals.
- If your condition permits, try to render assistance to other injured persons.
Gathering Information
Your second priority after your own safety and well-being is to gather as much information as possible from the scene of the accident. Try to take photos of the accident scene with your phone, or ask a nearby person to do so for you, and send you the photos. Gather contact information from each person involved in the accident. Taking a quick photo of driver licenses or other forms of ID with your phone is a quick way to record this information.
Interactions with Law Enforcement
You should cooperate as much as possible with law enforcement and other emergency personnel that arrive on the scene. However, you should limit your explanations of what happened with law enforcement. Anything you say on the scene will be written down and become part of the overall record. Immediately after the accident, and especially if you are injured, things may be unclear and your understanding of events can be clouded. Share your name and contact information and then ask for all other questions to be directed to an attorney. You have the right to say nothing to law enforcement.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Ithaca
As soon as possible, you should contact a firm of personal injury attorneys in Ithaca that can protect your rights and represent your interests. Personal injury lawyers in Ithaca and Syracuse from Williamson, Clune & Stevens can work to determine exactly what occurred that caused the accident, during the event itself and who is at fault. They can also help you file a personal injury claim against the at-fault persons or entities. Depending on the circumstances of the accident that caused your personal injuries, you may be able to recover compensation to help with medical expenses, time lost from work and other damages.
Williamson, Clune & Stevens, a personal injury law firm in Ithaca, Syracuse and Cortland is here to make sure you are treated fairly after suffering a personal injury accident. Contact us as soon as possible after an accident occurs for legal protection, counsel and seasoned representation.