I have been injured in an Iowa car accident, what should I do next?
l Back To Main Page

Answer:

First thing you will want to do is seek medical treatment. This will help to determine the extent of your injuries. If you go to the doctor right after the accident you should always follow up within a week or so, because sometimes it takes a couple days for injuries to fully develop. When you do see your doctor, be sure to tell him/her everything that hurts, if you fail to do this and then there will be no record of your all your injuries and you can lose compensation. It is very important that you document and tell your doctor every pain you are experiencing from the accident.

It would be a wise idea to not answer any questions the insurance company asks about your injuries until you have them fully evaluated and know whether or not you will need future treatment. Insurance companies often do not take future medical care into consideration when they offer you a settlement, because they are trying to save their company money and do not want to pay out a lot.

Another thing many injured Iowans fail to do is get medical treatment on a regular basis. You need to have a steady trend of medical treatment in order for your injuries to be seriously considered by the insurance company. If you have gaps in treatment they are going to ask why you only went to the doctor here and there, this can also result in a loss of compensation. If you continue to have constant problems you should see your doctor once a month at the least. If later on you claim that you have continued to have problems and your medical records show no medical treatment for the condition for a period of months, then it will be difficult to prove that your ongoing problems are related to accident.

During the course of your case you should document everything that goes on, from the pain you experience to your conversations with the insurance company, if any. You need to keep track of any mileage and out of pocket expenses you incur as well as any time you missed from work due to doctor appointments or not being able to work because of your injury. Documenting all these things will make your case stronger and give you proof of what happened. Sometimes cases can take a couple years to settle and it's hard to remember all the details, keeping a journal of everything will help your case.

If you would like more information about what you should do after being involved in a car accident, Walker, Billingsley & Bair offers an Iowa car accident book at no cost to help clients learn their rights and answer common questions.

(WARNING: THESE ARE GENERAL STATEMENTS AND ARE NOT INTENDED AS LEGAL ADVICE OR LEGAL OPINIONS. IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT LAW CLAIM THERE ARE DEADLINES WHICH CAN BE AS SHORT AS ONLY A FEW DAYS TO FILE A GRIEVANCE OR ONLY A FEW MONTHS TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION OR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT LAW CASE THEN YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY RIGHT AWAY.)