Have you found yourself in a crowded parking lot and you accidentally hit a parked car, nothing serious, but you can see the car is now scratched or slightly dented? You may be left wondering what the next step is and how you can cover yourself as much as possible so you’re not stuck with the repair bills. Below are a few tips on what you can do after you have hit a parked car.

Don’t Flee from the Scene

If you hit a parked car and leave the scene without waiting to contact the owner of the vehicle, you could be charged with a hit-and-run. Even if the damage is not substantial but it is noticeable, stick around to speak to the car’s owner. If you leave, there are chances that the accident was recorded as many park lots have cameras that record 24/7. The owner will likely be able to track you down if you leave the scene of the accident.

Leave a Note

It’s wrong to leave the scene, but if you wait for a long time and you still can’t contact the owner of the vehicle, leave a note. This note should contain your name, phone number, email, and any other essential contact information. However, do not provide any insurance-specific information. Most of us are aware of this cliché but leave the note under the windshield wiper blades so it won’t blow away.

Document the Scene

After you have hit a parked car, document the scene as much as possible. Take photos of the cars involved in the parking lot accident. You can also take pictures of things that may have caused the accident, such as small parking spaces, carts, and any other obstacles that made parking a harder maneuver. 

Call the Poli

No matter how small of a collision, an accident should always be reported to your local police. This way you can file a report and get even more assistance to contact the owner of the vehicle. It’s good to get a head start on this, as a police report will contain important details to aid you in your insurance claim later.

Get in Touch with your Insurance Agent

After being involved in an accident, after contacting the authorities, you should always contact your insurance agent next. The insurance company will ensure you have provided all essential information and how to efficiently document evidence of the accident if you need more assistance. It’s important to give your insurance agent a heads up before the other motorist files a claim. 

Contact an Attorney

If you have hit a parked car or if your car has been hit, call an attorney to get legal representation as soon as possible. Our expert attorneys at Utah Personal Injury can help you maneuver through all the complexities of filing a claim and negotiating with insurance companies. Call today to get a free consultation.

As Utah’s premier personal injury lawyers, we know that a slip and fall injury can lead to many devastating and life-altering consequences. If you or a loved one has sustained a serious injury from a slip and fall accident in Utah, contact our attorneys at Utah Personal Injury Attorneys for a free consultation with Utah’s best personal injury lawyers.

It is crucial that you get medical attention after a Utah slip and fall accident. Below are some reasons why you should:

Your Health Should Be Your #1 Priority

After an injury, your health should always be your number one priority. Pretending that your injuries were not bad enough to seek medical attention can potentially lead to your injuries becoming worse. Also, if you neglect to get medical treatment, it will restrict you from ever pursuing compensation from the at-fault party. 

If you sustained any injuries in a slip and fall accident, seek medical attention immediately. Most people involved in these accidents are not doctors, so it’s always best to make sure you have a clean bill of health after an injury to avoid new injuries from arising a few days or weeks after your accident. Without medical treatment, you may be putting your long-term health at risk. Also, medical reports allow you to have a successful personal injury claim process.

Proving Injury Without Treatment Can Be a Challenge 

Suppose you have been injured due to a slip and fall accident, and you want to press charges and file a personal injury claim to get compensation. In that case, you tackle the responsibility to prove that the other party was at fault for your injuries. 

When proving sustained injuries, the evidence must demonstrate the following:

• Provable injuries 
• The injuries sustained were a result of the slip and fall accident
• Damages and income loss due to injury

Medical Records Are Key 

Having the opinion of a licensed physician can weigh in on slip and fall accident cases. Medical records and documentation provided to you by your physician can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful personal injury claim. 

For the most part, these documentations, reports, or records can include:

• Admission forms
• ​​Daily charts
• Diagnosis records
• Discharge Instructions
• Follow-up schedules
• Hospital records
• Medicines prescribed
• MRI results
• Procedure summaries
• Treatment plans
• Test results
• X-Rays

Time Can Fly By

Unfortunately, proving your injury is only the first step. You must also prove that your injury directly resulted from the associated hazard that caused your injury. 

The longer you put off medical treatment after an injury, the more likely an insurance adjuster could determine that the injury was not serious enough (depreciating the value of your claim) or claim that your injury was not the defendant’s fault.

Contact an Expert Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Immediately  

After you have addressed your first priority (medical attention), you should contact an experienced slip and fall attorney. At Utah Personal Injury Attorneys, you can get a passionate and driven attorney that can aggressively pursue the maximum compensation so you can focus on recovery.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a slip and fall accident at work, the attorneys at Utah Personal Injury Attorneys will help you get the compensation you deserve. We offer free legal consultation when you call us, and we also work on a contingency fee. This means that we don’t get paid until you do.

Below are a few tips to help you avoid a slip and fall accident at work. 

Ensure Safety

The first step in avoiding an accident on the job is limiting the number of hazards around your workspace. A few strategies you can use to help reduce these numbers include but are not limited to:

• Entryways are equipped with non-slip mats
• Maintain sufficient lighting
• Provide markers for any steps, ramps, slippery floors, and any other potential hazards.

Safety Procedures

Unfortunately, a slip and fall accident can happen anywhere, including office buildings, classrooms, constructions, and more. With this in mind, it is crucial to develop any safety protocol to cultivate a safer environment. Use these tips to help better your safety protocol:

• Properly ventilate any hazardous contaminants. 
• Check for any loose electrical wiring, cords, etc., that create unsafe walking conditions. 
• Continually update and review standard operating procedures. 

Maintainance to Minimize Slip and Fall Risks

Even if your workplace and safety protocol create a safe environment, the efforts are not without regular cleaning and maintenance. If you’re going to hire a maintenance staff, please do the following: 

• Implement a cleaning and maintenance schedule
• Take all the necessary measures to limit any risk of a slip and fall accident occurring.
• Regularly check plumbing systems
• Receive regular safety training

The Weather WILL Rain on Your Parade

Snow, sleet, hail, rain, and any other forms of inclement weather can turn your safe workplace into a slip and fall hazard. You should train your staff to have the best practices for inclement weather. Also, every business should have a removal service to address any hazard that snow, sleet, hail, ice, rain, etc., can bring to a workplace.

Safety Training

Employees can become hyperfocused on their job and forget the safety protocols of the business. The business owner should provide safety training to employees throughout their employment. If not, employees will find themselves likelier to engage in activities that increase their risk of slip and fall accidents. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Brain injuries can vary in severity; some can be from a minor concussion to significant trauma. This trauma is due to the crash impact; in most cases of traumatic brain injuries, the victim’s head slams into the car’s frame, steering wheel, or even dashboard. A traumatic brain injury can also have lifelong damages, such as permanent brain damage.

Whiplash

The impact from a vehicle collision will jolt your body from side to side (usually front to back). This sudden impact and movement can damage the muscles and nerves in the neck area. Whiplash is usually a minor injury that leaves victims with neck aches; however, sometimes, it can severely impact your spinal cord.

Fractured/Broken Bones

In most cases, drivers involved in a car accident tense their bodies to brace for impact. When victims do this, they increase the risk of injury, such as broken bones. For example, if you lock up your legs, the impact on your legs will be much more significant since there can be no flex to cushion it. The vehicle’s frame can also collapse and crush your limbs.  

This type of injury can lead to life-altering problems, especially if the fracture doesn’t heal properly. 

Back Injuries

Back injuries can be pretty serious. They can cause some delayed issues that will arise with the natural breakdown of your body as you age. A back injury can severely impact your ability to walk or do some of your favorite hobbies, especially if left untreated.

After suffering a back injury, you may require specialized medical equipment and ongoing care. With future therapy and medical bills looming over your head, it’s crucial to obtain the most amount of compensation for your damages. 

Utah Personal Injury Lawyers are here to ensure you are adequately compensated so you can focus on recovering from your injury. If you call our offices any day during business hours, you can schedule a free phone consultation. We know how devastated some car accidents can leave people, so we are here to fight for you. Our experienced attorneys will help alleviate the burden of injury after a vehicle accident in Utah.

The Most Common Causes of Vehicle Accidents:

Impaired Driving

These are accidents caused by drivers who are impaired by alcohol or impaired by drugs. In 2020, this caused over 3,000 casualties, 2,144, resulting in severe injuries and almost 215 deaths, making it the most hazardous cause of Utah vehicle accidents.

Run-Off-Road Collisions

Run-off the Road accidents involve a vehicle when leaving the roadway, losing control of the car, misjudging an upcoming turn, overcorrecting to avoid something that’s in the middle of the road. 

Over Speed Limit

It’s hard to maintain control of your car when maneuvering at high speeds. Also, the faster you’re going, the less time you have to react to any potential incoming collisions. In 2020, 6,581 speed-related accidents occurred and 78 fatalities.

Young Driver

Young drivers are a common cause of serious car accidents due to their lack of experience. These young drivers between the ages of 21 and 25 contributed to over 11,000 car crashes in 2020, with nearly 5,400 accidents resulting in injury and 32 fatalities.

Distracted Driving

There are constant distractions available while driving. (i.e. texting, eating, talking on the phone) It’s not a surprise that distracted driving causes a big chunk of yearly accidents, with 4,906 crashes happening in 2020. (18 fatalities)

Intersection

Intersections are magnets for fender benders, primarily due to the fact that cars are approaching each other from many different directions. 

Why You Need a Utah Personal Injury Attorney

More common causes include; unlicensed drivers, older drivers, drowsy drivers, work zones, and school zones. Whichever type of accident that you were involved in, you deserve to have a compassionate and driven attorney to help you recover the most amount of compensation you deserve. The experienced attorneys from Utah Personal Injury Lawyers can guide you through the legal process. We encourage you to contact our office as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with a member of our firm. With the help of our expert attorneys, we can help you get the money you deserve to cover all expenses, income loss, pain and suffering, and more, so you can focus on picking up all the pieces. 

Most accident victims do not realize, however, that not all personal injury attorneys are the same. It may be a good idea to search for your best local attorney, not just call the first one that comes to mind. 

Here at Utah Attorneys, we’ve dedicated to inform our clients and make sure you avoid making these three mistakes when hiring a personal injury attorney:

Inexperienced Lawyer

It’s never a good idea to hire an inexperienced attorney, especially when you’re dealing with a personal injury case as it takes a lot more from a legal team than simply just showing up at court. At Utah Attorneys, you can expect to work with attorneys with over 20 years of experience. We are also always eager to consult medical doctors and accident reconstruction experts to get all the advice and accurate information for your case.

Lack of Proper Treatment to Clients

A personal injury accident can devastate your quality of life and also your entire family. Not being able to work for an extended amount of time with a lengthy recovery ahead of you can seem quite daunting in itself. The last thing you want is an attorney that exerts little effort toward their clients and doesn’t seem to care about your family’s wellbeing. 

This mindset is completely absent in Utah Attorneys. It’s our mission to help every client obtain the most compensation for any injuries they suffered, as well as provide them with every resource they need to support their families. In fact, the individual client relationship is extremely important for us. 

Choosing an Attorney Who only Specializes in One or Two Practice Areas

Personal injury law entails a lot more than just car and truck accidents. Here at Utah Attorneys, our legal team is knowledgable, experienced, and prepared for any injury claims including; bicycle accidents, dog bites, child injuries, industrial accidents, nursing negligence, product liability, premise liability, slip and fall, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, motorcycle accidents, and more. If you have any sort of personal injury claim, chances are, you will find a home here at Utah Attorneys. Our attorneys will back you up and help you gain back what you once lost. 

Insurance Companies Share Information

Insurance companies keep tabs on all current and previous claims against any insurance company. If you have any pre-existing conditions, no matter how long ago it was, the condition will probably surface in your case. To help with your case, inform your attorney about any injuries, addictions, or medical complications you have experienced before and during your claim. We cannot stress enough how important this is, as many cases can easily be lost because the insurance company argues that the problems were derived from an earlier or later injury. 

Keep Files for any Medical, Out-of-Pocket Expenses, and Lost Income Records 

Expenses and medical bills are an essential part of your injury case, so keeping a good record of any of these expenses is a good idea. Most people that an attorney does not represent fail to ask for their medical records. Request all records after a visit and retain all bills related to your claim, such as medical expenses, drugs and medicines, therapies, home care aides, and anything else you have accumulated for your recovery. If your injury has impacted your ability to work, request a statement that outlines any time lost. 

Document Everything

Take notes on your physical and emotional state after the incident, even if it seems trivial. Keep tabs on what you do when you first wake up and exert extra effort when in your job. Describe how the accident has impacted your daily life. Also, include any medical treatments, medications, symptoms (if any), progression, setbacks, disabilities, or inconveniences. 

Don’t: Discuss, Sign, Post

At no point should you talk about your claim or your status with anyone, including your employer, coworkers, neighbors, or the company at fault, especially not the other party’s insurance company. Any conversation may be recorded and could be used against your claim. Only talk to your close family and your attorney. Decline to sign any documents without the explicit consent of your attorney. Also, refrain from posting anything relating to your claim on any social media platform. If at any point you did, do not delete it.

Do Not Discard Evidence

We emphasize the idea of not throwing away any evidence in your case, such as photographs, empty medication bottles, or any object relating to the cause of your injury. The more evidence you can collect, the better, no matter how trivial. 

If you or a loved one has been involved in an avoidable injury, call our expert attorneys here at Utah Attorneys. If you call our law offices during regular business hours, you can receive a free consultation with one of our most experienced lawyers.

Are Truck Accidents Common?

Unfortunately, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), over 475,000 car accidents occur each year that involve large commercial trucks. Commercial truck accident fatalities are even more common in rural areas, with almost 60 percent of fatalities happening in that kind of environment. 

No one wants to be involved in an accident, but everyone must prepare themselves for what they can do after a collision. Take the following steps if you have been in a truck accident.

Call the Police

Please resist the temptation of calling your family or friends to inform them you have been part of an accident. First, call the police. Calling 911 will get police and an ambulance to the accident scene as soon as possible. Calling for an ambulance will help any potential victims that aren’t able to do so. Law enforcement can determine the cause of the accident and who can be liable for your damages.

Insurance Information

When the police and paramedics are on the way, it is crucial to get the truck driver’s insurance information. Also, inquire about the trucking company as well. Your attorney will be able to determine whether the trucking company or the truck driver are liable for the wreck.

Document any Evidence

Write down anything you can think of. Photographic evidence of the accident and any injuries sustained can increase the value of your claim. Even if you do not have a present injury, take daily photos on sore areas for signs of bruising from the collision.

Medical Assistance

At the time of the crash, you may believe that you are not seriously injured. This could be from shock. It’s imperative to your health that you receive medical care as soon as possible after any car accident. The shock sends adrenaline coursing through the victim’s veins that could mask any pain from injuries. Claims with medical treatment starting from the day of the accident tend to have a higher value than those with medical records beginning days or even weeks after. 

Call an Experienced Utah Personal Injury Attorney

After you have been helped by law enforcement and medical professionals, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney that can help you fight to recover compensation for any damages you have sustained. Here at Utah Personal Injury Attorneys, we have a significant amount of experience with large commercial semi-truck accidents. We know how devastating they can be, and we are here to fight for you. Call our offices today to receive a free consultation.