You may have had a serious car accident recently that left you with injuries and damages. If you had a good car accident lawyer in Portland, Oregon, you probably got compensation.

But just because you are healed from the accident doesn’t mean getting behind the wheel again is easy. After a serious accident, you might be wary of driving again or are extremely cautious to the point that driving safely is difficult.

Fortunately, many people find their fears of driving again tend to fade after a few weeks or months. But if you are still having trouble driving, remember the following tips.

First, you should write down everything that happened in the accident. Many people discover that writing down what happened helps them to deal with the trauma and feel their emotions.

Despite what some think, avoiding the trauma doesn’t help you get better. It’s best to deal with your feelings as soon as you can.

Keep writing down what happened and how it makes you feel, and you should find it helps you with driving again.

Second, don’t keep what happened in the accident to yourself. Telling family members and friends what happened can reduce your anxieties and fears. Sitting on those feelings and fears can make it harder to get over them, and harder to get behind the wheel again.

Third, some accident victims find it helps to have another adult with them when they start driving again. Having a friend or family member to lean on while you get used to driving again can make a huge difference.

Fourth, keep your initial drives short and sweet. You shouldn’t undertake a four-hour drive across the state. Instead, just drive to the grocery store or gas station. Once you get accustomed to short distances, you can work your way up to longer drives.

Next, you should not avoid seeing the crash site. Changing your route or slowing down at the crash site isn’t productive. If you cannot see the place it happened without having a lot of anxiety, seeing a counselor can help a lot.

Last, if you still find driving gives you a lot of stress, consider a defensive driving class. The skills you learn in class can make you feel more confident behind the wheel. And being back in a car without an accident happening will increase your confidence.

Defensive driving classes also help you see situations that could lead to accidents. And taking one of these courses can reduce your insurance bills, too.

These tips will help you get behind the wheel and get on with your life. If you are still thinking about filing a claim or lawsuit, talk to an experienced car accident lawyer in Portland, Oregon.

Were you just in a car accident? This is an upsetting time and it’s important to take care of your injuries as soon as you can. Also, remember to talk to a car accident lawyer in Portland Oregon soon.

Another piece of advice: Don’t make the following mistakes after a car accident.

Don’t Underestimate Your Injuries: There is a tendency after a car accident to say you’re ok and you aren’t hurt. But if you say that to the other driver and to witnesses, it can complicate your settlement negotiations later.

Anyone who heard you says you weren’t hurt could tell the defense attorney that you said you weren’t hurt. This could make the insurance company deny any claim you make.

Also, saying you aren’t hurt may mean you don’t seek medical attention. It could turn out you have injuries that get worse because you don’t get medical help right away.

Don’t Wait To Seek Medical Attention: When the police and first responders come to the accident, it’s smart to get medically checked out to see if you have injuries. It’s common for the adrenaline to be flowing after the accident, and you may not feel any pain.

But after a day or so, the adrenaline rush will fade and you could find yourself in a lot of pain. And if you wait, it could be too late to document your injuries and connect them to the accident.

Imagine if you have serious injuries and can’t go to work. But you waited to seek medical treatment so now you can’t get compensation for your injuries.

Don’t Wait: After the accident, you may want to just wait to do things because you want to focus on feeling better. This is understandable but it may be a mistake.

Here are some things you shouldn’t wait on after an accident:

• If you delay medical care, you don’t have full documentation of your injuries for settlement negotiations.
• If you wait to have the crash investigated, essential evidence may disappear. And remember that witness memories are best in the first few hours after the crash. They may not remember as much if you wait.
• If you wait to talk to a car accident lawyer in Portland Oregon, you could have trouble finding a good attorney to take the case later. The best attorneys want plenty of time to prepare your case.
• If you wait too long to file the lawsuit, the statute of limitations may run  out.

In many states, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, so make sure you never wait to talk to an attorney.

None of this is to rush you and make you anxious after your accident. But you should take care of these issues promptly to ensure you have the best possible care and recovery.

Don’t Give the Insurance Company Too Much Information: Don’t think any insurance company is your friend, including your own. Of course, you need to give your insurance company all the information they ask for so you can get the accident covered if it’s necessary.

The major issue is when accident victims are too open and honest with the other insurance company. There are many things you can say that unwittingly damage your case.

Remember to talk to a car accident lawyer Portland Oregon for the best possible outcome for your case.