If you’ve been in a car accident, you are probably in pain and scared. We drive by car accidents every day on our way to work or the store, but we don’t ever think it can happen to us. Thankfully, many of us will never experience what it’s like to be injured in a car accident. However, if it happens to you, there are a few things you need to do.

The first thing you need to do is seek immediate medical attention. It’s important that you have a doctor check out your injuries to see how serious they are. You could have injuries that aren’t visible that are quite serious. You also are going to want to make sure to document your injuries right away. If you have to file a lawsuit later on, you are going to need proof of your injuries. The best way to do this is to have medical documentation.

The second thing you need to do is call a car accident lawyer in Anderson, South Carolina. An experienced car accident lawyer will be able to walk you through the legal process. You will have to make sure you file an insurance claim against the other driver’s insurance company. If they don’t cover part of all of your injuries, you will have to file a lawsuit against the other driver. A car accident lawyer knows how to do this.

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Why Brumback & Langley?

The personal injury lawyers at Brumback & Langley have decades of experience handling car accident cases. They have developed relationships with other attorneys and insurance companies and know how to negotiate to get you a fair settlement.

Car accident lawyer at the firm of Brumback & Langley will work hard to get you the money you deserve. They are skilled at handling all types of car accidents, including:

Rear-End accidents

One of the most common types of car accidents are rear-end accidents. They can happen at any red light, stop sign or traffic signal. You can be minding your own business waiting for a light to turn green and feel your car get rammed from behind. Some drivers are simply not paying attention to the road and don’t realize that you have stopped. Others are drunk or under the influence of drugs and can’t gauge how quickly they need to stop. Some drivers are just driving too fast and can’t stop in time to avoid a collision.

Head-On Collisions

One of the most dangerous types of car accidents is a head-on collision. The injuries associated with this type of accident are usually very serious. This is because both cars may be traveling at a high rate of speed. When they collide, the impact is significant. The impact causes injuries that can be hard to recover from.

Wrong Way Accidents

There is no justification for why someone is driving down the wrong side of the road. Mistakes happen and drivers get lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood. However, if this is the case, they are likely driving slow enough to avoid impact with another car. The problem with wrong way accidents is that they may involve speeding, drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs. In any case, the behavior is reckless and can lead to life-changing injuries

Distracted driving

No matter how hard police work to curb texting and driving, people still do it every day. You probably do it yourself. You’re running late to work and need to text your supervisor. Or your wife texts you asking you to stop and pick up dinner and you text her back. It doesn’t take much to cause an accident. When you’re busy texting or doing something else in your car, you aren’t focused on the road. This is how people get hurt and killed.

Tractor Trailer accidents

More fatalities are the result from tractor trailer accidents than almost any other type of accident. This is mainly because of the size difference between a truck and a car. A car is no match for a huge semi-truck. The impact alone can serious injure or kill the passengers in the car. 

Motorcycle accidents

There are two main reasons why people get into motorcycle accidents. One is that motorcycle drivers sometimes don’t abide by the rules of the road. They speed or weave in and out of traffic. The other reason is that cars don’t look out for motorcycles on the road. Either way, these types of accidents can lead to deadly injuries. 

Drunk and Impaired Driving

There is no reason why anyone should drink or do drugs and then get behind the wheel. In this day and age of ridesharing, there is no excuse. For a few dollars, you can hire an Uber or Lyft driver to take you home. Instead, thousands of people every year decide to get behind the wheel when they have no business driving. As a result, innocent people get killed.

Car Accident Statistics in South Carolina

Despite the advent or smart cars and ridesharing, the number of car accidents in South Carolina are staggering. Almost 20 people for every 100,000 in the state are killed in car accidents every year. This is actually twice that of the national average. There are three (3) main reasons for this:

Drunk Driving

In 2015, nearly 1/3 of all fatal accidents in South Carolina involve drunk driving. The numbers continue to increase no matter how hard authorities work to curb drunk driving.

Speeding

Despite speed limit signs being posted on all road throughout the state, over 350 people are killed every year in South Carolina due to speeding. This accounts for another 1/3 of the fatalities in the state. \

Texting and driving

Texting and driving is now the leading cause for car accidents in South Carolina and the United States. Over 3,000 people died in the US in 2014 from car accidents. Another 500,000 were injured.

Some of the other reasons accidents happen in South Carolina include drivers falling asleep at the wheel and failure to yield. 

Dealing with the Insurance Adjuster

One of the first things you or your car accident lawyer will do is file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. You sit back and wait for your payment to come in the mail. Instead, you get a letter stating that your claim has been denied. You are angry and confused. You did what you were supposed to do. Why hasn’t your claim been paid?

There are several reasons why your insurance claim may be denied:

  • Police lapsed or was cancelled for non-payment: If the other driver didn’t pay his insurance premiums, his policy would have been cancelled. If this is the case, there is no way the insurance company is going to pay your claim. You do need to have a valid and current policy to ensure coverage. If this happens, your lawyer is going to advise you that you need to file a lawsuit against the other driver. 
  • Driver’s license was suspended or revoked: If the driver doesn’t have a valid license, the insurance company is not going to pay your claim. This is because the driver needs to have an active license for the policy to remain active and valid. If this is the case, your lawyer can file an appeal. But understand that you may have to file a lawsuit.
  • The insurance company thinks you were at fault: The insurance company may claim that you are the one at fault. If this is the case, your lawyer will appeal the denial and try to negotiate a settlement with the insurance adjuster. Your lawyer will gather evidence to show that the other driver was at fault.
  • They claim you weren’t hurt or that your injuries weren’t caused by the accident: This is why we say it’s important that you seek medical treatment following an accident. Your lawyer may have to prove that you were hurt. He will then hire s to prove that your injuries were caused by the accident.
  • You didn’t file your claim properly or on time: There are rules for filing an insurance claim. If you don’t do so properly, your claim may be denied. Your lawyer can help you appeal the denial and make sure the proper paperwork is filed with the insurance company.

What Types of Injuries Can you Suffer in a Car Accident Anderson, South Carolina?

If you’ve been in a car accident, you are probably hurt. Your injuries may be minor or they could be severe, It all depends on the type of accident and the circumstances surrounding your case. Some of the most common types of injuries in car accidents include:

Head injuries

Some of the most severe injuries are head injuries. These can range from lacerations and bruises to traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury is caused when your head suffers a terrible blow or impact. Some of the problems caused by a traumatic brain injury include:

  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Impaired speech
  • Short-term and long-term memory issues
  • Headaches
  • Sleep issues

Back injuries

Back injuries are very common with car accidents. You may suffer from herniated or slipped discs or even experience a spinal cord injury. These injuries can be life-altering. You may require surgery or physical therapy for quite some time.

Neck injuries

The worst type of neck injury is a broken neck. It can prove to be fatal or may lead to permanent paralysis. You also may suffer something as minor as whiplash. This is not a permanent injury and usually heals within a week or two.

Internal injuries

These are dangerous because you have no way of knowing you have sustained internal injuries. These may include internal bleeding, punctured lungs, and organ damage. It is extremely important to get medical treatment right away.

If you have suffered any injuries in a car accident, you need a lawyer to fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Whether it’s from an insurance company or an individual, you are entitled to pay for your injuries.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at Brumback & Langley Today

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you need to contact a car accident lawyer right away. You are going to file a claim against the insurance company and also going to have to document your injuries and make sure you have all the evidence you need should your claim be denied.

You only have three (3) years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. This sounds like an awful lot of time. However, when you are being treated for medical issues and out of work, time flies. You don’t want to risk missing your window to file your claim. An experienced attorney like the car accident lawyers at Brumback & Langley will make sure your case is filed in time. 

Contact the office today to schedule your initial consultation. The consultation is free and it gives you a chance to ask your lawyer any questions you may have. It also gives the lawyer a chance to review your case and see what it may be worth. For your first meeting with your laywer Anderson, South Carolina, make sure to bring the following:

  • Medical records
  • Pay stubs to prove wages
  • Pictures of the accident scene
  • Accident report or police report
  • Insurance information for you and the other drivers
  • Pictures of injuries
  • Contact information for any eyewitnesses

So call us today at (864)-326-0424 to schedule your 100% free consultation!