By Joshua Perry
The holidays are a busy time of year. For some, this includes traveling to spend time with their family and loved ones. As a result of holiday travel, the number of vehicles on the road increases. Unfortunately, as a result, so do the number of accidents. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates 507 people may die on U.S. roads this Thanksgiving holiday period.
With many holiday gatherings, alcohol is often part of the festivities. If you intend to drink during the holiday season, be sure to have a plan in place to get home, like utilizing a rideshare or taxi service, or calling a friend. Doing so can prevent you from being another statistic this holiday season.
Different Things To Consider If You Are Injured
If you are injured as a result of a car accident, be sure to obtain treatment for your injuries. EMS may arrive at the scene of the accident, treat you, and release you, or they may transport you to the hospital for further treatment. If possible, make note of the EMS provider you are treated by. Their records may be important in helping to identify your injuries from the accident.
If you are transported to a hospital, keep a copy of any of your records or discharge paperwork that you received. This paperwork often helps to identify what injuries you sustained in the collision and identifies which facility has your medical records relative to the accident.
Some injuries may not present until the next day or get worse over time. Some people in car accidents wake up with neck pain or back pain the morning after the accident occurred. The important thing to do is seek treatment for those injuries as soon as you begin to experience symptoms or notice increased symptoms.
People sometimes wait to seek treatment, thinking that their injuries will improve over time. Oftentimes, these injuries do not resolve without treatment. By waiting, you may be negatively impacting your ability to recover from those injuries.
What If The Other Driver Is Impaired By Alcohol Or Drugs?
If the individual that caused the car accident was impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, it may change the tort status of your insurance coverage. This may allow you to recover for injuries that you otherwise would not be able to recover from. It is important to speak with an attorney to understand the full implications on insurance coverage in these circumstances.
Obtaining a copy of the police report will help determine whether the offending driver was cited for driving under the influence. Typically, the police officer responding to the collision will provide you with an incident report number. This number is used to identify the accident, so that a police report can be obtained once completed by the police department responding.
Finally, if you are injured during holiday travel, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call and allow us to evaluate your claim. We can help you navigate through the various avenues of recovery for injuries as well as help you understand what your legal rights are in obtaining that recovery.
Source:
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/holidays/thanksgiving-day/