You may have never been involved in a car accident before, up until this point. You may have never been involved in any incident that called for legal action, either. With both of these things true, you may not have an inkling as to whether you have a valid car accident case on your hands. Well, without further ado, please continue reading to learn what elements make a car accident case valid and how an experienced Tampa car accident lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help evaluate the relevant circumstances of your incident.
What elements make my car accident case valid?
First of all, to have a valid car accident case, the other involved driver must have acted negligently in some way. Whether they sped well above the enforced speed limit, ran a red light, or otherwise. This is because you cannot expect the other driver to pay for your damages if they did nothing wrong in the first place.
Secondly, the other driver’s negligence must have directly caused your collision. For example, their speeding inhibited them from braking on time and caused them to rear-end you. Lastly, your collision must be directly tied to the injuries and damages you now suffer from. Going with the same example, say that your rear-end collision caused you to hit your head on the steering wheel or airbag and resulted in a serious head injury.
Therefore, there may be an absence of a valid claim if there is no negligence, causation, or damages to account for.
What steps should I take to ensure my car accident case is valid?
You may have all the elements for a legitimate car accident case. But this may mean nothing if you do not have the evidence to back them up. You must understand that most of the proof you need for your future claim exists at the scene of the accident itself. Therefore, at the scene, you should take the following steps to ensure a valid case:
- Take photos of your bodily injuries, property damages, and the overall scene.
- Recount your version of the accident to the law enforcement officer present at the scene.
- Gather the contact information of witnesses present at the scene, along with any of their photos.
- Submit to medical attention by EMTs at the scene and accept an ambulance ride to the emergency room.
Last but not least, you should know that your legal claim is only valid for a certain period of time. That is, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims just like yours is two years from the accident date. For this reason alone, we strongly encourage you to retain the services of a skilled Tampa auto accident lawyer as soon as possible. You may do so by scheduling an initial consultation with Merricks Law Group, P.A. today.
