Don't Make These Mistakes After Becoming a Car Accident Victim

After being injured in a car accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of another driver, it’s easy to assume that the opposing insurance company will compensate you for your damages and losses. The insurance company on the other side of your claim will want to save as much money as possible though. Don’t sit on your hands waiting for things to happen. You should be proactive and aggressive in bringing and maintaining your claim, but you’re likely to make mistakes along the way, Those mistakes will operate to devalue your claim. Aside from not retaining a quality car accident attorney right away, here are some other mistakes that you’ll want to avoid making when pursuing your claim.

Don’t Give a Statement

The opposing insurer’s adjuster is likely to want to obtain a statement from you about how the accident occurred and the injuries you suffered. No law requires you to give any type of statement to an opposing insurance company. You can damage your case if you give one. By getting your statement, the opposing insurer only intends on attacking your credibility by twisting your words and using them against you in the future. Never give an opposing insurance company a statement of any kind.

Don’t Sign a Medical Authorization Either

Expect the opposing insurance company to ask for a signed medical authorization from you as well. By signing and returning that authorization, you’re allowing that insurer to obtain your medical records for your entire life, whether they’re relevant or not. That insurer is fishing. It’s looking for an old injury to the same part of the body that you injured in the present accident. Then, it can blame your present condition on the old injury.

Don’t Tolerate Being Ignored

Delaying a claim is a common insurance company tactic. In their experience, insurance companies know that an accident victim who hasn’t retained an attorney can be softened up and become exhausted through intentional delays like not answering phone calls or emails. Insurers know that without a quality personal injury attorney, injured claimants who are representing themselves have little leverage against them. After being continually ignored, claimants are more likely to accept a settlement offer that’s far below the actual value of their claim.

Don’t be Bullied

If you are lucky enough to speak with the adjuster who is assigned to your claim, you might encounter an individual with a highly defensive posture. Don’t be intimidated by that behavior. You have the right to be compensated for your injuries and damages. What comes to issue is the fact that you’re at a severe disadvantage without an experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer working on your behalf.

Don’t Sit on Your Rights

Regardless of the fact that you need to focus on your health and recovery, you must also devote effort into your personal injury claim. Don’t sit on your rights. The opposing insurer will think that you’re uninterested while it’s building its defense against you. If you wait too long, the statute of limitations on your claim might pass, especially if you were injured as a result of the act or failure to act of an employee of a governmental entity. If the statute of limitations passes, you’re probably never going to be compensated for your injuries and damages.

After being seriously injured in a car crash as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, don’t count on that person’s insurance company treating you fairly. Preserve and protect your rights by retaining a respected car accident lawyer right away after being injured in an accident that was caused by another driver. You don’t want to learn the hard way.