—
Scenario: you’ve been in an accident, and you’ve been injured. It might not even be that serious, but you still might have to cover a few medical expenses for treatment or miss days off work. The accident wasn’t your fault, so you’re looking for some compensation. Is that possible?
It very much is. Accidents can happen at every corner, and when they do, you deserve to hold the party responsible for them accountable, even if the damages can be considered “minor” by some. The way you can do it is to ask for a personal injury claim.
Most of them may be settled out of court, even amicably. The best personal injury attorney can handle negotiations and reach a mutual conclusion with the other party, though this is a best-case scenario. Unfortunately, it’s also possible for the other party to put up a fight and nitpick at your case to get out of payment.
So, make their job a lot harder and avoid these five common injury claims mistakes:
1. Not Seeking a Doctor Right after the Accident
This is a huge red flag. If you don’t seek medical attention right after the accident, the other party may argue that:
- Your injuries are not that serious;
- The incident did not cause your injuries.
Don’t let that happen. Even if you technically feel fine, it’s possible for the pain to appear later on because the adrenaline pumping through your body protects you from hurting for a while. Call an ambulance, and see a doctor right after the accident.
2. Not Following the Treatment
Your doctor will set out a particular treatment for your injuries, be it some medication you have to take, physical therapy, or any other means to help your recovery. At this time, it’s essential not to skip any part of the treatment.
Something as small as changing the medication dosage without your doctor’s approval may be used by the other party to try and refute your claims.
3. Not Filing a Report
The first step to take after an accident is calling the police and filing an official report. Skipping this step can work against you because the other party can argue that you did not think the incident was severe enough to call proper authorities.
Plus, the police will come, look at the scene, take witness statements and include everything in their report. Later on, you can use them for your case. Police reports can be very valuable, as they are seen as objective recollections of the events.
4. Not Documenting the Accident
It may be difficult to acquire certain documentation of the accident long after it happened. So, if possible, try to take photos of the scene, get the names of witnesses, and write down their contacts.
After you take immediate care of your injuries, try and remember the main details of the event and write them down. Even if you’ve already given a statement with the police, it’s possible you’ll remember a lot more things about the accident once you’ve calmed down.
5. Not Hiring a Lawyer
Finally, while it’s possible to take on a personal injury claim on your own, you should really consider hiring a lawyer to represent you. They have the necessary experience with dealing with other attorney or insurance adjusters, and can help you negotiate a reasonable settlement, or even represent you in court should you go to trial.
At this time, it’s better to focus on your recovery than trying to untangle the knots of the legal system. An attorney with experience in personal injury claims is really your best option here.
Back to You
The critical thing to remember here is this: if you’re suffering from injuries after an accident that someone else caused, you absolutely deserve to be compensated for it.
Don’t go through all this alone, and get professional assistance right away.
—
This content is sponsored by Ben Obirek.
Photo: Shutterstock