No warning, just a loud bang! The rest is all aftermath.
The pain, shock, and confusion are the earliest sensations after an auto accident. Whether your injuries are caused by a car, motorcycle, or truck, the post-realization that you have sustained injuries is traumatic. The law allows accident victims to pursue a personal injury claim. However, there are specific mistakes that you must avoid. These include;
1. Failure to seek help
If you have been involved in an accident and sustained injuries, get immediate help. This can be rescue personnel, medical help, legal help, the police, and other forms of assistance. The shock and confusion associated with accidents can mask clear-headed thinking. Even when you feel perfectly okay, something might be wrong.
So, call for help. Emergency responders and other healthcare professionals can help document your health status and the specific injuries you sustained. On the other hand, law enforcement officers can document the entire accident scene and help figure out who was responsible for the incident. Your attorney will need these documents when building your case.
2. Not gathering evidence
Car accidents, bike accidents, animal bites, and other forms of accidents are overwhelming and emotionally-tasking. But failing to document the accident scene and gathering relevant pieces of evidence could weaken your personal injury claim.
If you can safely access your phone and use it after the accident, document the entire scene while it’s fresh. Take photographs and short video clips showing as many details about the scene as possible. Document your conversations with the witnesses, medical experts, and more. It’s also important to track your lost wages, medical expenses, and other relevant factors that affect your life. Unless you have these details, it will be challenging for your attorney to pursue a personal injury claim successfully.
3. Believing that insurers are on your side
While insurance companies and their agents might sympathize with you after the accident, the reality is that you can’t rely on them to protect your rights and interests when pursuing compensation for the damages you suffered. Sometimes, over-trusting these entities can lead you to give them too much information and somehow admit liability for the incident. This could flush your personal injury claim down the drain!
4. Failure to hire an experienced attorney
This is a common mistake that most accident victims make. Personal injury law is more complicated and broader than most people think. Thus, you need an expert who knows exactly the laws that apply in your case and other regulations that must be observed when pursuing a personal injury claim in Florida.
Remember, minor mistakes could affect your case. Besides, the accused’s insurer and lawyer will try to find various elements to get your claim denied. To avoid making such mistakes, it’s recommended to work with a lawyer who has been handling cases similar to yours and isn’t afraid of taking the right steps to get you the amount of compensation you deserve.
5. Failure to keep your case details private
One of the common mistakes that victims of accidents make is to share the details of the cases with family, friends, and social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Discussing some elements with a close friend or relative is good, but keep in mind that these people might be called to testify in court.
Any electronic, documented, or verbal account of your accident, recovery, and injuries might be admissible. Therefore, it’s important that you don’t share your case’s details with other people except for your lawyer. If you are unsure of what to say when the accused’s lawyer asks a question, let your lawyer handle it.
These mistakes can be avoided if you contact an attorney as soon as you get involved in an accident.
