February 27, 2013
A few weeks ago we talked about the 9 things you SHOULD do after a car accident. So here are the top 6 things you should NOT do if you’re in an accident:
Don’t ignore your injuries.
Get this in your head: There is no virtue in “soldiering on” when you’re hurt in an accident. We have it ingrained into us that it makes us tough, or that we can just deal with it and we’ll bounce back. It doesn’t matter how old you are, car accidents create long lasting injuries that will only get better if you actually see a doctor right away. Don’t ignore your injuries.
Don’t drag yourself to work if you are hurt. Take sick leave
That’s what it’s there for! And no one (especially your boss) wants you doing second-rate work because you’re hurt.
Don’t expect the police to get all witness contact information.
The Police are here to protect you. But once an accident happens, it’s paperwork time. If you think officers signed up to “serve and protect” so they could do paperwork, you have another thing coming. Get all the contact info you can from anyone who saw the accident, because more often than not, the police won’t catch everyone. And everyone who saw it counts.
Don’t give a recorded statement to the insurance investigator for the adverse party
If you give a recorded statement to an insurance investigator, whatever you say may come back to bite you. One of the main reasons insurance companies want recorded statements is to get you to say something that removes your rights to adequate compensation. If you do not include all of the facts, make a misstatement or something is recorded wrong, you will be stuck with your incomplete story. If you have legal counsel present, you can be protected from giving an incomplete story. Moreover, even though the insurance investigator may make you think so, you do not have to give a recorded statement.
Don’t settle your injury claim until you know what your injuries are
Your injuries need to be properly evaluated by professionals. In many cases, you need a doctor’s opinion as to whether you will have additional medical expenses in the future. Once you settle your claim, you cannot collect any more money for the injury. Medical bills you incur after you settle, become your responsibility.
Don’t ignore the two year statute of limitations; it will bar your claim.
Don’t take too much time to evaluate your injuries and determine what your losses are. If you let the statute of limitations expire, you will lose your rights to pursue a claim. It can take time to get your claim evaluated by a professional. Don’t wait too long before you call an attorney if you have a serious injury, because the attorney may not have enough time to fully and fairly evaluate your case. So don’t let too much time pass, or you may lose your rights to pursue a claim. It costs you nothing to call a lawyer with experience in evaluating injury claims. But, it can cost you thousands of dollars (sometimes hundreds of thousands!) if you wait too long.
Don’t assume an attorney will cost too much.
If you have a serious injury and have significant damages, you need help from an experienced personal injury attorney. Insurance companies try to settle with injured people before they hire an attorney. They do this because they can pay less money to someone in who is not represented and does not know the value of their injuries. Most people who try to represent themselves in a serious injury case will end up with a lot less money than if they went ahead and hired an experienced attorney. I give free consultations so even if you’re not sure you want to hire an attorney, just give me a call and I can help you figure out what is best for you!