First and foremost, if you were injured during the 4th of July holiday, it’s crucial that you seek immediate medical care. Your health and well-being should be your top priority. Plus, documenting your care is essential to successfully getting you the money you deserve.

It was a long holiday, and the number of accidents shows it. Alabama state troopers issued nearly 2500 citations for speeding and more than 1,000 citations for not using seat belts or having an improper child restraint. There were more than 200 car crashes statewide, and troopers made nearly 50 DUI arrests.

Now, it was rough on the water as well. Nearly 700 vessel inspections were conducted, and more than 200 marine safety citations and warnings were issued. Plus, the Marine Patrol Division reported 14 boating incidents and 14 BUI (boating while under the influence) arrests.

The tragic news is that there were nine traffic deaths in our state. Two were on motorcycles, and of the seven car deaths, ONLY ONE WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT.

Now, you can argue over the safety of cars (and I believe lawyers and lawsuits have made manufacturers improve car safety), but no safety item is any good if you don’t use it. Let me give you this to ponder from my decades of dealing with accident victims: a seat belt can significantly reduce your injuries. Yes, a seatbelt can reduce your facial scarring, improve your chances of walking normally, and even save your life. Remember, you may not do anything wrong and still be in an accident, so always buckle up.

If you unfortunately had an accident this past holiday, let me give you my top 3 things you need to do after a wreck.

Holidays can be dangerous, but you know that. FYI, Labor Day is about six weeks away.

If you are injured in a traffic accident, on-the-job injury, nursing home neglect incident, slip-and-fall, boating accident, or other personal injury, you can talk to us at the law firm of Steele Ritchie for free. We genuinely want to help. We are local attorneys with decades of experience helping people, especially in the southwest Mobile area. Give us a call at (251) 666-1212.

Allen Ritchie

Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer

The post Your Accident on the 4th. Now What? first appeared on Steele Ritchie.