7 Things To Never To Do In Your Injury Accident
You’ve just been in a car crash. Do you know the important actions you need to take right now? What about the things you should never do? The stakes are high – and not knowing could cost you big.
Making the wrong moves after an auto accident can ruin your chances of getting what you deserve. But it gets worse. Did you know that some mistakes could also affect your physical health and keep you from making a full recovery?
The aftermath of a crash can be chaotic, and it is easy to forget what to do – and what NOT to do. Avoid making these mistakes after your accident, and get help for your auto injury claim today.
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1. Underestimating the severity of your injuries
Misjudging how bad your injuries are is a common mistake. That disorientation, confusion, or fogginess that you feel in your mind – think it is stress related? Think again – these are common symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
How about that soreness or stiffness that you feel after the wreck? This could be a sign of a soft tissue strain or sprain. And this goes undiagnosed, these problems could get worse over time.
Underestimating your injuries are a serious mistake many people make. It’s natural to want to downplay your injuries. Some people don’t want to have the attention focused on them when they are injured. Some people don’t want the stress of having to go to the doctor. We get it.
But here is where this can hurt you with your accident:
First, insurance companies know that this is a common reaction and they will use this against you. They will always question the severity of your injuries, second guessing your doctors and the severity of your injuries.
Second, by saying that you are “Okay,” you could wind up unintentionally sabotaging your injury claim. A common tactic by the insurance company is to use your early statements against you. So even if you don’t feel any pain immediately, just don’t say anything.
TIP 1: After an auto accident, don’t neglect to get medical care. Always tell the police and first responders the truth to any pain you may be feeling.
2. Waiting too long to act
Waiting too long to act can be a big mistake. There is something called the “Statute of Limitations” that sets a deadline for filing claims.
It is important to take action quickly after your injury.
What does this mean?
- Waiting to get medical care – you are not documenting all of your injuries. Worse yet, you might be putting your health at greater risk.
- Waiting to investigate the accident to get critical evidence – video surveillance footer could get deleted and witnesses tend to forget details over time.
- Waiting to reach out to our offices – the longer that you wait to get a lawyer, the less likely it is that you’ll be able to get a top firm to take your case.
- Waiting to file a lawsuit – if you miss the deadline, you miss your chance of recovering compensation for your claim.
TIP 2: After an auto accident, don’t neglect to get medical care. Always tell the police and first responders the truth to any pain you may be feeling.
3. Giving too much information to the insurance company or signing their paperwork
Remember this rule: insurance adjusters and the insurance company they work for are not on your side. They will probably seem very friendly and nice.
Unfortunately, this is just one of the tricks they will use against you. They want to be friendly so they can gain your trust so you provide damaging information.
Once they have this damaging information, they they can use it against you to to pay you as little money as possible.
So don’t give the insurance company a recorded statement. Don’t talk about fault or your injuries right now. Don’t give the insurance company the details they are asking for.
Don’t give any insurance company details or information they don’t need. Only give them basic information.
What is basic information? It means that you have a duty to notify your insurance company about the accident and give them basic information.
You don’t have this obligation to the other driver’s insurance company. They will try to pressure you into giving them a statement or signing their paperwork.
The good news is that there is a defined talk track that you can provide to the insurance company to deflect all of these difficult questions.
When you hire us as your attorney, which is no cost until you win, we can provide you exactly what to say to deflect these questions. So that is why it is important to contact our offices immediately.
TIP 3: Giving the insurance companies too much information can hurt your injury claim. Take our quiz below to contact our office and find out your case worth.
4. Agreeing to a quick settlement
A quick settlement sounds tempting. You get a check that can help cover some of those medical bills that are coming in. If you are losing income from missing work, a quick check can help to cover certain bills and expenses.
This is what the insurance company wants you to think. They are hoping that by giving you a quick, low-ball offer, you’ll accept it quickly.
The insurance company knows that you are likely under great financial distress, and they want to take advantage of this.
You might hear their insurance adjuster say this low-ball offer will “help you.”
The insurance company is trying to trick you. Don’t settle for less. Settle for what is fair. Settle for all of the money that you are owed, not just a portion of it.
TIP 4: Remember, working with an experienced injury law firm can often increase the side of your settlement. We know the difference between a low-ball offer and a fair offer for your injuries. Contact us today to discuss your case further.
5. Not collecting evidence
Not collecting evidence or getting important information early can be a big mistake. Here’s a quick checklist of the information you should collect:
- Collect the other driver’s insurance and contact information
- Use the camera on your cell phone to take pictures of the accident scene.
- Take down the names and contact information of any witness and ask for their statements now
- Get a copy of your accident report and the badge number of the officer who completed it
- Start an accident and injury journal – you can do this on your cell phone as well. Write down your pain levels and what your doctor says to you.
TIP 5: Remember, taking action is important after an accident. One other important action you can take is to click or tap the button below to take our free quiz to find out your case worth.
6. Talking about your case on social media
Why shouldn’t you talk about your case on social media? Because you may be inadvertently helping the insurance company build its case against you.
You should know that the insurance company will probably be watching everything that you say publicly on social media.
They look for updates and photographs that could contradict your story. For example, let’s a friend on Facebook or Tiktok asks you how you are feeling, and you say you are feeling much better.
Maybe seemingly innocent status update becomes evidence that the insurance company uses against you to say that your injury isn’t that bad.
Remember, this is big business for them and they are looking for any way to pay you as little money as possible.
TIP 6: Be careful with the updates that you share about your injury on social media. When in doubt, just say nothing publicly. You can always respond to someone privately or call them to update how you are doing.
7. Handing your accident case on your own
This could be the single biggest mistake an accident victim can make.
Your insurance claims adjuster will probably tell you that you don’t need a lawyer. The reason for this is simple.
They know that if you hire an attorney like our law firm, you’ll instantly have experience on your side. Because by hiring us, you’ll immediately put the insurance company on the defensive.
The insurance company knows that accident victims who hire lawyers get 3.5 times more money than those who don’t.
A personal injury attorney firm like ours knows what a fair offer is, so you can be assured that you won’t be taken advantage of with lowball offers.
TIP 7: At a minimum, click the button below to take our quiz to find out what your case is worth. There is no cost to you unless we win your case so you can rest assured that there is no risk to you. Click or tap the button below and let’s get started.
Injured In An Accident?
Click or tap the button below to take our quiz and connect with our 24/7 Helpline.
Injured in an Accident?
Click or tap the button below to take our quiz and connect with our 24/7 Helpline.