If you have been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. To ensure you have a strong personal injury case, you need to adopt best practices and steer clear of the following common mistakes.
#1 Not Hiring a Lawyer
If you think you can handle your personal injury claim without a car accident lawyer in Athens, think again! Personal injury law is complicated. If you try to navigate the complex legal landscape on your own, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, your insurer may use every trick in the book to deny or downplay your claim. Hiring a car accident attorney in Athens can increase your chances of success.
Your auto accident attorney in Athens will deal with the insurance company and negotiate on your behalf. The professional will collect evidence and investigate your case. They will calculate the value of your personal injury claim and come up with a strategy to maximize compensation.
#2 Not Collecting Evidence and Witness Information at the Accident Scene
One of the first things you must do after an accident is to collect evidence at the accident scene. Evidence collected at the accident scene can play a crucial role in a personal injury case and can be used to establish negligence.
Take pictures of the vehicles involved, your injuries, and the accident scene. Document everything. Talk to eyewitnesses and record their statements. Remember to collect their contact information.
#3 Settling the Claim Too Fast
Your insurance companies may try to settle as fast as possible. The moment you indicate you are feeling better, your insurer may try to move forward.
If you fall into this trap, you may settle your injury claim for lesser than its real worth. Do not settle before you have a full understanding of your injuries and how they will impact the different aspects of your life.
#4 Waiting Too Long to See a Doctor
If you have been injured in an accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you wait too long to see a doctor, your insurance company may try to downplay your injuries or claim that your injuries are unrelated to the accident and are the result of a pre-existing condition.
Even if you do not feel pain or discomfort after the accident, see a doctor as soon as possible. The adrenaline from an accident can mask pain. Some injuries may take days, even weeks to manifest.
Your doctor will run several tests and may order an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan to get to the root of the problem. Once they have a clear understanding of the nature of your injuries, the professional will develop a course of action.35
#5 Failing to Keep Records
Every time you or a friend or relative incurs an expense arising from your injuries, document it. Preserve receipts. We recommend documenting even minor expenses as they may add up quickly.
Remember, all costs arising from your injuries are potentially claimable if you can support your claims with evidence.
#6 Missing Doctor Appointments Or Not Following Their Advice
Missed appointments will show on your medical records. If you miss too many appointments or stop following your doctor’s instructions, your defendant’s legal team and the insurer may claim that the accident did not cause any serious injuries, or you simply don’t care.
#7 Giving a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Company
Be very careful when talking to an insurance adjuster after an accident. Insurer adjusters are trained to extract vital information that can be utilized to deny or downplay personal injury claims. Before giving a formal statement to your insurance company or signing on a document, talk to your auto accident attorney in Athens.
#8 Failing to Share All Symptoms With Your Doctor
Your medical examination and report is a vital piece of evidence. Your attorney will use your report to validate and support your claims. If you fail to describe all the symptoms to your doctor, your final report may be very different from what it should have been, and you may not be fully compensated for your pain and suffering.
Describe every symptom (no matter how minor it is) to your doctor. If you think your doctor missed something important, volunteer the information.
#9 Not Getting a Permanent Impairment Rating
A permanent impairment rating is used to assess the extent of damage resulting from an injury. Your doctor or an Independent Medical Examiner can provide the rating for your injuries.
If you have lingering pain from the accident, ask your doctor to evaluate you for a permanent impairment rating. Your permanent impairment rating can have a huge impact on the value of your personal injury settlement.
#10 Posting Accident Details on Social Media
Avoid posting information about your accident or injury details on social media. Do not post photos from the crash scene on social media.
Remember, every conversation that you have on social media or accident photos that you upload can be used by your insurance company or the defendant’s legal team to deny or downplay your claim.
To prevent the defendant’s team from accessing critical information, keep your profiles as private as possible. Do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
If you have already posted something on social media that can impact the outcome of your case, do not take it down as it can be considered an attempt to tamper with or destroy evidence.
#11 Failing to Obtain Your Copy of the Police Report
If you have been injured in an accident, report the incident to the police immediately. Make sure the responder fills out a Traffic Collision Report. The document must include important information related to the accident, the police officer’s observations, and the statements of the witnesses.
