If you get involved in an accident that causes you injury and pain, you have the legal right to seek compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance provider.
With the help of a qualified personal injury lawyer, personal injury claimants stand an excellent chance of getting the compensation they deserve.
However, some victims make mistakes that end up jeopardizing their personal injury claims.
With insurers always working to ensure they only have to shell out as little money as possible—or not pay anything at all—for personal injury cases, injured parties must avoid the following mistakes, all of which can affect the outcome of their claim.
1. Not Seeking Immediate Medical Care
If you sustain an injury in an accident, you should seek medical care before anything else, even when you’re feeling fine. Keep in mind that your injury might not hurt at first, but it could manifest physical and mental symptoms later. Your well-being should always be your priority.
2. Not Calling Local Law Enforcement
If you’re involved in a car accident caused by another person, police presence at the scene is a must. After all, they’re the ones who can help identify what caused the accident.
Police are also supposed to gather evidence and eventually draw up a report which you will need to bolster your personal injury claim in court. The responding cops may also be called upon as a witness in your case.
While witnesses will probably call 911 when they see an accident, take it upon yourself to make that call, if you can.
3. Not Keeping Receipts and Other Documentary Evidence
When suing for economic damages, a personal injury claimant needs all receipts for expenses incurred—medical or otherwise—while recovering from an injury caused by the at-fault party.
If you lose those receipts, the court won’t have anything on which to base their calculation of the economic damages to be awarded to you.
So, gather all your receipts, bills, and invoices for safekeeping, and be sure to present them as evidence in your personal injury case.
4. Posting on Social Media
Social media is a great place to promote causes close to your heart, but making posts while your personal injury case is ongoing is not going to do your personal injury case any good.
Anything you post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can be used against you.
You could end up posting about something that will make the at-fault party challenge some of the facts of the case.
Let’s say your claim states that you have a broken leg, but your most recent Twitter post says you’re going skiing.
Without a doubt, the defense will grab at that bit and use it to question the truth of your personal injury claim.
Unless you’re being extremely careful about what you say, your social media posts can harm your case, and you could end up with nothing.
So, if possible, refrain from posting on social media, at least until your personal injury case is finished.
5. Hesitating To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney Because Of Professional Fees
With their deep knowledge of personal injury laws and their uncanny ability to negotiate with insurance providers of at-fault parties, personal injury attorneys are in the best position to get you the best possible compensation for the injuries and the pain you have been suffering.
However, some personal injury victims think twice about hiring an attorney because they fear they would have to pay them exorbitant fees to represent them in court.
The thing with personal injury lawyers is that most of them work on a contingency fee basis. You may have to reimburse your lawyer for some of the costs of processing your case, but a contingency fee agreement means your attorney won’t charge you a cent until your case is won.
These are just some of the mistakes personal injury claimants make. Avoid all of them, and boost your chances of success in your personal injury case.
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About the Author
Andrea Williams is the Community Manager at The Law Offices of Alcock & Associates P.C., a premier law group in Arizona that provides legal services to clients involved in Personal Injury, DUI, Immigration and Criminal cases. She enjoys cooking, reading books and playing minigolf with her friends and family in her spare time.
