Most Common Mistakes People Make After A Car Accident

By law, there are certain steps that you need to take after a car accident, such as stopping to check to see if there are any injured victims or injured passengers in the other car. Driving away from the accident scene is a crime. Most people know that they have to stop after an accident, but they don’t know what else they should do. The McCallister Law Firm says that you should educate yourself on the common mistakes people make after a car accident so that you don’t make them yourself, and you should also let new or teen drivers be aware of these mistakes. They warn that if you don’t take certain steps, then it will affect your ability to receive compensation when you file a personal injury claim later.

Not Taking Pictures At The Scene of the Accident

Once the accident scene is cleaned up, the evidence is gone. There’s no way to re-create the accident scene and capture evidence of what it looked like. Before the first responders clear the scene, you should take pictures from many different angles. Here are some suggestions to get the best photos to use in your insurance claim:

• Take close-up shots of the damage done to both vehicles
• Take pictures of signs that identify the location, the speed limit, and who has the right of way.
• Include the license plates for both cars in your photos so that it’s easier for the insurance adjuster and your attorney to distinguish between the vehicles.

Talking To The Insurance Company Before Talking To An Attorney

You should reach out to an attorney as soon as possible since you will need to file your claim with the insurance company. However, insurance companies are not looking out for you, the injured victim. Instead, they are looking out for their bottom line. They will ask questions that are intended to get you to say something that will make you seem more guilty than you really are for the accident. They might ask you if you were tired at work or find some other way to pin the blame on you. However, when you speak to an attorney, they contact and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.

Not Seeking Medical Advice

Some people wrongly believe that if they see a doctor, then they will automatically be stuck with the medical bills. Some even go back to work, fearing they will lose their job. It’s really important that not only do you speak to an attorney, but you seek medical attention after your accident. If, for example, you went back to work immediately after the accident, then the insurance company may argue that you were feeling fine enough to go to work and therefore weren’t as injured as you claim you were. This could be detrimental to your case. You won’t know if you are suffering from serious injuries, but a licensed physician will.

There are some injuries that take several hours to manifest, but a physician will be able to diagnose them before they become very painful. Stomach bleeding, for example, is a life-threatening side effect of the seatbelt smashing into the body and bursting capillaries. Whiplash is another common injury after accidents. The muscles in the neck and shoulders can become sprained and strained in a car accident, and it may take several hours or days before you start to feel pain. Although this is not a life-threatening injury, it is very painful and can prevent you from going to work or getting the rest that you need at home.

How will I pay for my medical expenses?

If you are wondering how your medical bills will get paid, then you should speak to an attorney about the damages. Unfortunately, your chances of winning the damages that you deserve are reduced significantly the longer you wait to seek medical treatment.

The insurance company will use every tactic possible to deny your claim or reduce how much is paid out. The longer you delay seeking medical treatment, the more likely they are to argue that your injuries were not severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention, even if you had been waiting because you were nervous about paying for medical care. If you have questions about paying for medical treatment after a car accident, then you should speak to an attorney.

Not Keeping A Journal

In addition to seeking medical treatment, you should also keep a journal of your recovery and comply with your doctor’s orders. This journal or chronology of your pain and suffering can be useful in your personal injury case to demonstrate just how much the accident has affected you.

Your journal can also include how the accident has affected you and your family. If you have been seeing a therapist for depression or, for example, you can’t put your kids to bed at night because of an injury, and it causes you deep anguish, then that can be used as proof when filing for non-economic damages.

Not Hiring A Car Accident Attorney

Some people think that if they represent themselves, they will save all of the money they would have spent on attorneys’ fees and will win their case. In truth, cases are rarely straightforward, and what may seem like obvious facts to you may not appear that way to the defendant or the judge.

Also, most personal injury attorneys do not charge their clients unless they win. That is why they offer free case evaluations before taking on a claim to ensure that it is valid. For example, if you show up to discuss a car accident years after it happened, then the statute of limitations has passed, and your attorney can’t do anything about it under the law. They will be able to determine your case’s worth at the initial consultation. If they see that you have a valid claim, they can use their resources to build a strong case and argue for you in front of the insurance company.