If you are in a car accident out of state, you could have complications with filing an insurance claim. If you suffered injuries in that same accident, and it wasn’t your fault, you might need the help of our local car injury accident attorneys in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Learn more about the steps you need to follow when seeking compensation in an out-of-state car crash.
What To Do Immediately Following A Car Accident Out Of State
Injury victims should take several steps following an accident out of state. Victims should do the following:
- Seek medical care from a doctor
- Contact local law enforcement
- Exchange insurance and contact information with other parties involved in the accident
- Document the scene of the accident by taking pictures and video
- Contact your insurance company
- Obtain the names and contact information of any witnesses
- Do not admit fault for the accident.
Speak With Locally Based Injury Attorneys
Victims may also want to consider speaking with local lawyers for assistance with navigating the legal aspects of their case. If you suffered injuries in an out-of-state car accident that wasn’t your fault and you plan to file a lawsuit, you almost certainly will need to file the injury lawsuit in the state where the accident occurred. Even though it would be more convenient to file the lawsuit in your home state, the consequences of the accident are subject to the laws in the state where it occurred. (In rare cases, you might need to file a lawsuit in the state where the negligent party lives or even in federal court.)
When choosing personal injury lawyers to represent you in your out-of-state car accident lawsuit, the lawyers must be able to make arrangements to practice in the state where you’re filing the lawsuit. Hiring locally based motor vehicle injury accident attorneys easily fulfills this requirement. These attorneys also intimately know the local court system and laws that may apply to your claim.
Many people our injury attorneys represent are going through a lawsuit like this for the first time. It can be especially difficult to understand all the steps required when you’re trying to manage the lawsuit from another state. Our locally based injury attorneys can help you understand the basics of personal injury law. We’ll explain all the steps required to try to win your claim.
As a significant advantage to hiring our team, we take over all correspondence with the insurance company on your behalf. You can focus on recovering from your injuries from your home state – where you’re almost certainly going to be more comfortable – and let us handle the local day-to-day management of your injury claim. We can deal with local law enforcement to obtain accident reports and do our own investigation of the accident far easier than you can from hundreds of miles away.
Legal Issues Affecting Out-of-State Accidents
Many legal complexities are possible after a car accident out of state. If the other driver is also from out of state, it can be challenging for you to deal with the other driver’s insurance company. Insurers may try to bring red tape into the process when the parties in the injury lawsuit live in different states than where the accident occurred.
Additionally, victims have a limited time to file a personal injury claim. Time limits are set by a statute of limitations, and they vary by state. This is another reason why it’s important to rely on locally based injury attorneys to walk you through the process. Our experienced team knows the statute of limitations that apply to your case, and we will make sure your case remains viable by meeting all filing deadlines on your behalf in the state where the accident occurred.
The Importance of Seeking Immediate Medical Attention
Victims of car accidents should seek medical evaluation and treatment as soon as possible, even when the accident occurs out of state where you might not know any of the local doctors. You could have your personal doctor check your injuries again when you return home, but you should seek medical care right after the accident from local doctors. There are two important reasons for doing so.
Timely Identification and Treatment of Injuries
Following any car accident, victims should seek immediate medical attention to ensure that their injuries are identified and treated. It is important to undergo evaluation by a medical professional promptly in case any serious injuries are masked by the adrenaline of being in an accident.
Establish a Foundation for Your Personal Injury Case
Insurance companies may try to avoid making payments to car accident victims through technicalities. You need to prove that your injuries occurred because of this crash and that the other driver was at fault. Our injury lawyers can help with establishing these factors in the case.
Insurance Claims for a Car Accident Out of State
Many victims involved in a car accident out of state are concerned about whether their insurance policy will cover the accident. The good news is that most insurance policies cover accidents throughout the United States.
However, individual state laws can play a role in how insurance companies compensate victims for their injuries and property damage. Insurance requirements and rules vary from state to state.
- No-fault states require insurance policies to cover the insured party’s medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, regardless of who is responsible for causing the accident. Minnesota is a no-fault state.
- Tort states, also called “at-fault” states, require the negligent party’s insurance to cover the other driver’s expenses and losses. In other words, determining fault and negligence is important. Wisconsin is a tort state.
Call Our Wisconsin or Minnesota Car Accident Lawyers for Help With Your Out-of-State Injury Accident
It’s not as unusual to end up in an out-of-state car accident as you might think. Roughly 6 million traffic crashes occur each year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and many involve out-of-state victims who are traveling.
If you are visiting Wisconsin or Minnesota and are the victim of a car accident, consider speaking with the knowledgeable, compassionate attorneys at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law. Call us today at (651) 259-1113 to understand how we may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries and losses.