4 Tips If You File A Personal Injury Claim
Jan 12, 2022
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If you are in an accident with injuries, you may lose work time and have thousands of dollars in medical bills and other expenses. So what can you do to get more out of your claim? Consider the suggestions below:1. Go To A Doctor Immediately
After the accident, you may be tempted to forget about it and hope the pain and discomfort go away. This is a mistake. If you have any injuries, you should go to a doctor immediately. Even if you believe you’re okay, a medical professional should still examine you.
After the accident, failure to seek medical attention often leads to a lower settlement. The insurance company will likely argue that your injury wasn’t severe; after all, you didn’t go to the doctor for three days!
The insurance company also may contend that something else caused your injuries. So, you should have a doctor evaluate you as soon as possible. If they find any injuries, they’ll document them, which will be connected to the accident, and that will help you later when you file a claim with an experienced personal injury attorney.
2. Be Careful What You Say
Familiar with the right to remain silent if you’re arrested? It also pays to hold your tongue after a car accident, even if you think the other driver caused it. You shouldn’t say anything to other drivers and witnesses that suggest who is at fault or communicate anything else about the incident.
The goal is to avoid saying things that complicate the investigation. For example, say someone runs a red light and hits you in the intersection. They ran the red light, so that suggests the accident was their fault.
But after the crash, the adrenaline is flowing, and you say to the other driver, ‘well, it was partially my fault because I was speeding through the intersection.’ The attempt to be friendly and accept partial liability could doom a future claim or lawsuit.
The other driver will talk to their insurance company and an attorney. They’ll almost certainly mention you accepted partial responsibility for the accident.
That’s why you should say as little as possible after the crash. Instead, check on other drivers and passengers and see if they need an ambulance. Other than that, stay silent and call the police.
3. Keep Your Accident Receipts and Documentation
If you have injuries after a car accident, you will have medical bills and documentation that your attorney needs to make your case. Some of the information you should keep in a folder include:
- Doctor and hospital bills
- Documentation that details your diagnosis
- Property damage bills
- Insurance information and records
Did you lose work time after the accident? Also, keep details of your lost work time, and it helps to write down how the accident happened as soon as you can. Your memory will be freshest in the first one or two days, so writing a detailed account soon will help your attorney as they gather evidence.
4. Don’t Sign Anything Without An Attorney
You will probably be upset and stressed after the car accident. Even if the other driver is responsible, car accidents are emotional experiences. However, if you are injured, you may just want to rest and get the annoying insurance people off your back.
But you should not sign anything an insurance company gives you without carefully reviewing it or having your attorney read it. Likewise, you should be especially cautious of signing anything from the other driver’s insurance company.
The claims adjuster knows you aren’t an attorney and will probably sign documents without reading them. This is how a shady insurance company may get you to agree to a small settlement without you knowing it.
That documentation you signed might allow the insurer to waive their liability after they pay you $1,000 for a case worth $20,000! So the bottom line is to read everything you sign and call your lawyer if you have any doubt.