If you’ve been injured during an accident, making a personal injury claim will often be an important part of ensuring that you’re bringing in compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering along with other damages. The claims process, however, can be complicated and intimidating, and even minor errors can hurt your case as explained by best law firm in Des Moines. Look, auto accidents and other personal injuries happen all the time, but there are common mistakes that could hurt your claim — avoid these at all costs.
For this entry, we’re going to make a list of the most common pitfalls for getting your injury claim going, so that you can make sure your case is as maximally rock-solid as possible.
Don’t Seek Immediate Medical Attention:
Failing to get medical help directly after an accident is one of the biggest blunders made by injury victims. Some injuries may take a while to show up, and you might feel perfectly fine right after the accident (like with whiplash, internal bleeding, or concussions). Not seeking medical treatment can harm both your health and the strength of your case.
The Social Media Post About the Accident:
Although it feels natural to discuss your ordeal on social media, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make during a personal injury lawsuit. Even your posts, photos, and comments about the accident or your recovery may be twisted by insurance companies or defense lawyers to suggest that those injuries are not as bad as you think.
Absence of Legal Representation:
Following an accident, insurance companies frequently request a recorded statement related to the event. Although it appears to be a very simple and generally benign request, providing a recorded statement without first speaking with your attorney is fraught with danger. Whatever you say may be held against you later, and the insurance adjuster could use your own words to invalidate or decrease the payout.
Before making any statement to the insurance company it wise to consult with a personal injury attorney. Your attorney can advise you about what to say and how not to make your own case worse by accident.
Settling for the First Offer of Settlement:
Insurance companies want to keep their expenses as low as possible, and one of the ways they do this is by providing a lowball settlement amount to settle claims quickly. You might be tempted to take the first offer you receive and call it a win, especially when medical bills are piling up, but this is seldom the maximum amount you are entitled to.
Ignoring the Medical History and Financials:
Your medical costs, lost wages and additional damages considered in a personal injury claim often make up the bulk of your award. Keeping receipts and other documentation of your treatment, medical bills, prescriptions, and related expenses is crucial to your case; otherwise, you may lose the ability to recover some items.
These are complicated personal injury cases, and one mistake can ruin it for you. If you can steer clear of these all too common missteps, however, it will help to safeguard your rights and also give you a better shot at achieving a settlement or judgment that is fair. Of, if you suffered an injury due to an auto accident make sure and retain a good personal injury attorney who can help you manage through the process, avoiding making any missteps along the way.
As such, it is absolutely imperative that the right lawyer be retained so as to maximize the chances of getting compensated for incurred injuries, medical costs and pain and suffering.
