
Asheville Personal Injury Case Timeline
What do you do after an Asheville Car Crash?
Asheville automobile accident attorney Lakota R. Denton has put together a personal injury case timeline for a typical car accident case. If you have been involved in a serious car crash, you may have questions about the personal injury lawsuit process and how long a personal injury or car accident case can take. Getting a personal injury lawsuit settlement takes time and you need the best personal injury lawyer you can find to help with your auto accident case. Have you ever wondered what you will do if you get involved in a car accident and get injured? It’s not only the bodily harm that you will have to endure, but you will also need to handle the medical bills that can run up into thousands of dollars. Add to this the lost wages due to your inability to perform your job. For most people, the process of claiming for injuries may appear daunting. This is why the best course of action is to find a competent personal injury lawyer, who will take up all the burden and hassles of handling your personal injury case and work towards getting you the best compensation, while you recuperate. Lakota Denton is an Asheville personal injury attorney who focuses on car accident cases and has helped many clients who have been injured as a result of a serious car crash. If you have been involved in a car accident, you need a personal injury attorney who focuses on motor vehicle accident cases.Car Accident PI Case Timeline Summary
- Car Accident Occurs – Investigate at the Scene
- Exchange Information with other drivers
- Document the Car Accident
- Seek Medical Attention
- Hire a Car Accident Attorney ASAP
- Notify Insurance Company (Your Attorney will handle everything while you get better)
- Your Lawyer Will Investigate Your Claim & Gather Key Info
- File an Insurance Claim or Demand a Settlement (Your lawyer will create a demand letter on your behalf)
- If No Settlement, Lawsuit is Filed (Most cases are usually settled & your lawyer will negotiate for you)
- Litigation & Discovery Process
- Mediation and/or Arbitration
- Trial Asheville personal injury lawyer Lakota R. Denton talks about the personal injury case timeline for a car accident case in the YouTube video below. You can also read all the different steps in the timeline below. Whenever you sit behind the wheel of your car or travel as a passenger, there is simply no guarantee that you will not get involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustain injuries. You may be very careful while driving, but the other party may not be. The worst part is an accident can happen most unexpectedly, bringing with it, debilitation and even death. When you get into an automobile crash, your first thought will be what to do next. The aftermath of an accident follows a sequence that is depicted by a timeline. It is important because it provides the logical steps to be followed that covers all the bases required in the personal injury car accident case.
- Check yourself for injuries: Try and move your limbs and neck. If you are unable to do so, try not to move, call the police and wait for the emergency medical rescue.
- Check passengers in the car: If you can move, check the other passengers in the car for injuries. If someone is injured, call the police and take the help of bystanders.
- Get to safety: If you find yourself in the middle of the road, there is every chance of being run over by the fast-moving traffic. If your car is in a condition to be driven, pull it to the side of the road, if not, exit the car and get to the side of the road or on to a sidewalk.
- Call the police: In all cases, whether it is a minor scrape or a major collision, calling the police becomes important. It is even legally required in some states. However, in North Carolina, you only need to report crashes that have resulted in injuries or fatalities and if the property damage is over $1,000.
- Officers’ particulars: Note the names and badge numbers of officers covering the accident.
- Accident report: Ask for a copy of the accident report or find out from where it can be collected at a later date. Your insurer may require this report at the time of filing your car insurance claim.
- Photographs: Get hold of the pictures taken by the police and also take pictures of your own of the license plates and damage caused to both the cars. This will help you in supporting your claim with your insurer.
- Witness details: You must identify and reach out to eyewitnesses who have seen the accident. These include people present in the location at the time of the accident, passengers in your or the other car. Get their names and contact information, and get the police to record their statements.
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Collects all documents and photos pertaining to the accident and compile them in a demand letter
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Sends the demand letter to the at-fault insurance company responsible for your injuries
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Gives the at-fault insurance company 30 days to act on the claim
- Files a lawsuit, if the at-fault insurance company fails to respond within the stipulated period
Personal Injury Timeline Steps for Car Accident:
#1 – Investigate the Car Crash while you are still at the scene of the accident
If you find yourself in a car accident, take the following steps immediately:#2 – Exchange Information
While you await the arrival of police and if you are not grievously hurt, make it a point to exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver. In case you are unable to do so, find someone in the crowd to do it for you.

The information you must obtain from the other party is his or her…
…full name and contact information. …insurance company and policy number. …driver’s license and license plate number. …make, model and color of the vehicle. However, you should desist from discussing whose fault it was with the other driver since it will be determined by the insurance claim adjuster, based on inspection, information provided by the parties involved and the police.#3 – Document the Car Accident
Once the police arrive, you must document the accident. These will come in handy in resolving your case with the insurance company. The details required are:—> Read more about What to do after a Car Accident in Asheville, North Carolina
#4- Seek Medical Assistance
If you are badly injured, the police will certainly evacuate you by ambulance. However, if you are not seriously injured and are able to walk around, still seek medical attention as soon as possible. Many times, injuries don’t manifest themselves immediately and pop up later. Moreover, seeing a doctor will also act as a safeguard in the event of your condition deteriorating at a later date, when you can claim that you had seen a doctor. Not seeing a doctor at all will help the insurance companies in claiming that either you were not injured or your injuries were not serious enough to warrant treatment.[bctt tweet=”In addition, not seeing a doctor may make you lose out on your entitlement of $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits.” username=”LakotaRDentonPA”]
These are available under your own auto insurance policy and requires you to seek medical help within the first 14 days of the car accident. If you are injured, make it a point to photograph your visible injuries, such as cuts, bruises, scrapes, and abrasions before you get medical treatment. These pictures will remain as evidence long after your injuries have healed and can help you in pursuing your injury claims.*** You want to hire a car accident lawyer before talking with your insurance company ***
#5 – Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
Hiring a personal injury attorney right away is important. You get the much-needed free advice since most lawyers offer a free consultation, that sets you on the right course from the initial stage itself.
You have nothing to lose by hiring a personal injury lawyer and they will help you get the best possible result for your car accident claim.
Lakota Denton Discusses How to Find a Good Personal Injury Lawyer
Your personal injury lawyer will…
…investigate the motor vehicle crash. …get the police report. …get statements from witnesses. …get the photographs of the vehicles involved. In addition, your car accident attorney will also contact all the insurance companies involved, which can number up to five or six, depending upon the number of vehicles involved in the accident and the number of personal insurance policies people may have. Your auto accident lawyer will start negotiating with the insurance companies. His first step will be to inform these insurance companies about your injuries and tell them to wait while your medical treatment is over.Asheville NC Attorney Lakota R. Denton
