Accidents happen, and people are injured every day. The results of a personal injury can be devastating, even if no one is to blame. When people are seriously injured as a result of others’ negligence or active malfeasance, it adds insult to injury and can make it even harder for victims to recover.
The good news is, most accident victims can receive compensation for their injuries, pain, and suffering. Most people don’t know what to do right after an accident, though, which can lead them to make innocent but costly mistakes. Injured parties can read on to find out about some of the most Common Mistakes Made with Personal Injury Cases to avoid making them in their own lives.
Refusing to Summon the Police
When vehicular accidents occur, it’s important to call the police and file a report. Police reports provide invaluable evidence for many personal injury claims. Their investigations may also make it easier to identify witnesses or suspected causes of the accident and gather evidence.
Foregoing Medical Attention
Foregoing medical attention after a serious accident won’t just hurt accident victims’ chances of receiving compensation for their injuries. Not getting timely care can also lead to more serious medical complications. Even when injured parties don’t have insurance, they should see a doctor or go to the hospital immediately after accidents to protect their health and generate official medical documents that can be used to prove their cases in court.
Refusing Legal Representation
A lot of people assume hiring a personal injury lawyer will cost too much to be worth the expense in all but the most serious situations. Thankfully, that’s not the case. Personal injury lawyers usually have different fee schedules that allow them to receive payment only after they’ve obtained a settlement for their clients. In most cases, the lawyer’s fee will be far lower than the amount of extra compensation gained by fighting for the victim’s rights.
Failing to Gather Information
To win a personal injury lawsuit, clients must be able to prove not just that they were injured but also that another party was at least partly at fault. Proving this claim requires providing the court with evidence, much of which can be gathered at the scene.
Accident victims who have not sustained life-threatening injuries can use their smartphones to take photos and videos and jot down information. For vehicle accidents, make sure to get the other driver’s name and insurance information, and speak to any eyewitnesses to the event. For other forms of personal injury, write down the location and the property owner’s information.
Avoiding Court Appearances
Some accident victims choose to avoid taking their cases to court, instead choosing to accept low settlements from the responsible parties’ insurance companies. Don’t make this mistake. If the insurance company will not offer a reasonable settlement, a lawyer can take the case to court to pursue fair compensation, but only if the accident victim has not already accepted an offer.
The Bottom Line
Accidents are stressful, but ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. It’s important to take action immediately after the accident by contacting the police, seeking medical care, and speaking with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
