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INJURY HELP CENTER
What to Do After an Accident or Injury
Start with safety and medical care. Then preserve key evidence, track bills and missed work, handle insurers carefully, and decide when legal help may make sense.
Home › Injury Help Center
Get emergency help for uncontrolled bleeding, trouble breathing, loss of consciousness, confusion or inability to wake, a suspected head or spine injury, a seizure, a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, weakness or numbness, or rapidly worsening symptoms. This is not a diagnostic list. Follow emergency personnel and treating clinicians.
MedlinePlus emergency guidance · CDC head-injury danger signs
You do not need to read this page in order. Use these direct links to reach the next task that matters to you.
Protect health and safety first. Collect information only when doing so will not put anyone in danger.
Get away from traffic, fire, unstable structures, damaged equipment, aggressive animals, or another immediate hazard. Do not move a seriously injured person unless emergency personnel direct you or remaining creates greater danger.
Call 911 when anyone may be injured, the scene is unsafe, traffic is blocked, or police, fire, or emergency medical help is needed. Follow instructions from the dispatcher and responders.
For a crash, work injury, property incident, dog bite, or defective product, notify the appropriate police agency, supervisor, owner, manager, security desk, animal control, or manufacturer channel. Ask for written confirmation or a report number.
Write down the date, time, exact location, people involved, witnesses, and what you personally observed. Take wide and close photographs of the scene, conditions, vehicles or equipment, damage, and visible injuries.
Traumatic events can affect sleep, concentration, mood, and daily life. Speak with a qualified health professional when you need care. SAMHSA provides general coping guidance; call or text 988 for crisis support and 911 for immediate danger.
A liability decision and medical care do not move on the same schedule. Do not delay emergency care because fault, coverage, or payment remains unresolved.
Use the HRSA health-center finder to locate federally supported health centers. Ask hospitals and other providers whether financial-assistance or payment-plan information is available. If a bill is unexpected or disputed, keep the bill and explanation of benefits and review current CMS medical-bill rights.
Ask every provider how to request an itemized bill and medical record. HHS explains general patient record rights. If the injury affects work, save restrictions and use the proper employer channel for leave or accommodation documents.
The answer depends on the event, available coverage, policy or plan terms, employment status, state law, and who ultimately becomes responsible. No source should be assumed to pay.
The Injury Help Center keeps urgent guidance in one place. These focused guides carry the detailed vehicle, workplace, and insurance information so the hub does not repeat it.
Scene evidence, towing and storage, retrieving belongings, rentals, repairs, total-loss offers, loan or lease balances, gap coverage, hit-and-run crashes, passengers, rideshare trips, and commercial vehicles.
Employer notice, authorized care, work restrictions, wage records, light-duty questions, denials or delays, official state resources, and claims involving someone outside the employer.
Recorded statements, medical authorizations, property and injury releases, checks, early offers, denial packets, and current state insurance-department routes.
Be accurate and brief. Do not guess. Ask for requests and offers in writing so you can understand who wants them, why, and what they cover.
Keep originals when possible and store secure copies. Some information may be overwritten, repaired, discarded, or deleted quickly.
A business camera may overwrite video, a vehicle may be repaired or destroyed, and electronic systems may keep data for only a limited time. A lawyer can evaluate whether a focused preservation request is appropriate. Do not trespass, access accounts without permission, or put yourself at risk to collect evidence.
Agency processes, forms, fees, and instructions can change. These links go to the current government source. This draft does not summarize substantive South Carolina law.
You can ask for a review at any stage. It may be especially useful when the claim or consequences are no longer simple.
Tell the intake team what happened, when and where it happened, what treatment you have received, and who has contacted you about the injury or claim. Sending a form or speaking with intake does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship. If representation is offered, attorney-fee and case-cost terms are explained in a written agreement before you decide.
These answers are general. A qualified professional must evaluate the facts of a particular medical, insurance, employment, or legal question.
No. Start with what you know. Tell the intake team which reports, records, bills, or contact information are still missing.
You can still ask for a review. Bring the date, location, related medical history, and communications. Notice and filing rules vary, so do not assume there is still time or that time has already run out.
You do not need to wait to ask questions. The effect of an injury may be unclear early, while deadlines and evidence issues can arise before treatment ends.
Do not decide the legal effect yourself. Fault rules differ by state and claim type. Give the full facts to a qualified attorney.
The initial case review is free and carries no obligation. If representation is offered, attorney-fee and case-cost terms are explained in a written agreement before you decide.