- Car Accidents
One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is thinking they can handle this all on their own, including legal matters, even though they don’t have any background in law. Either way, it could be a costly mistake, costing far more than the expense of hiring an attorney to work hard for your rights.
Insurance companies are not known for being generous or even reasonable when it comes to paying out money for a claim or lawsuit. In fact, they will go out of their way to make sure they pay out as little as possible. It would be in your best interest to have a trained, educated, and experienced attorney to make sure you are paid as much as you deserve for the injuries you sustained.
If you have been in a auto collision in Peachtree City, Wade Law Offices will go to battle for you to get what you are entitled to in a fair settlement. It is their goal to recoup as much of the cost for property damages, as well as pain and suffering, that is fair and reasonable. They will do so in by guiding you to not make further mistakes.
Do Not Give a Statement to the Other Side
It will be advised that you don’t give a statement to the other side, which includes the other driver’s insurance company, or the opposing attorney. At least not without your own attorney present. They could come across as helpful and willing to work in both party’s best interest. However, don’t fall for it. They are either working for the defendant, or for themselves, but definitely not you. They rarely will take into consideration anything other than making sure you get as little awarded to you as possible.
So, they could take anything you say and use it against you. They could also ask questions in a manipulative manner, all in hopes of getting you to say what they want. At Wade Law Offices, an experienced vehicle collision attorney will let you know when it’s appropriate to give a statement, and assist you in making the right statement to the adjusters.
However, this is not the same thing as talking to your own insurance company. It’s probably a requirement and you will have to accommodate, if you want to win your case.
Seek Medical Care Immediately
Injuries don’t always show immediately. Adrenaline is typically at a higher level when you get into an accident and is known to mask pain. If that happens, you might not think you are injured and decline to be given medical treatment. That’s a mistake. If you are in an accident, it’s wise to seek medical care right away. When you decline being seen or treated, you put yourself at risk for not being able to recover damages for injuries that surface at a later point from the accident.
It’s also likely that you could have injuries that don’t present themselves for a while, such as soft tissue injuries. So, even if you don’t feel you are injured, make sure you get checked out anyway and give the doctor as many details about the accident as possible. The doctor will know what to look for and even if it’s not obvious now, the potential for injuries surfacing later will be in your records. Give them details such as hitting your head, forgetting details, or your head forced forward and back, as in potential whiplash.
Keep Your Doctor Appointments and Treatments
When going through physical therapy, there will be times that you are feeling better and don’t think you need to go that day, or you just don’t feel like going. That is a dream come true for the opposing side. They will argue that if you feel good enough to skip appointments and treatments, then you don’t need any further compensation.
By showing the jury that you have skipped appointments, they will demonstrate that you don’t take your injuries seriously. And, if you don’t take your injuries seriously, why should they?
Make Sure to Disclose Pre-Existing Injuries
Many people think that mentioning pre-existing injuries will jeopardize their claim or case. This isn’t necessarily true. In fact, by not disclosing them, it could put your case at risk even more. The other side could certainly use that knowledge and try to convince the jury that your injuries were not a result of the accident. In addition, your credibility will be in question, if you are not upfront and honest from the start. And, credibility plays a critical role in any claim or case.
Also, the state of Georgia accepts pre-existing injuries, meaning if the negligence of the other driver causes your previous injuries to flare up, they are just as responsible as they would be for a new injury.
Don’t Share All the Details on Social Media
If you are on social media sites, you might be tempted to share information of your accident on your page. It should be fine to tell people you were in an accident, but know that it will lead to questions, and some of them would be better off not being answered. You don’t want to say anything that could alter the details of the case at all. Inconsistencies are a dream for the opposing side, and could be a nightmare for your case.
Even something as innocent as a photo of you sitting at your son’s baseball game, or tossing a ball around in the backyard, could be used against you. And, everything you put on the Internet is not nearly as private as you might hope.
All the above mistakes could easily be avoided, especially if you consult with an attorney familiar with auto accidents soon after getting into the car accident. Wade Law Offices, serving Peachtree City, Georgia, will help steer you away from making these mistakes and work hard at getting you what you are entitled to in recouping losses stemming from the accident. If you’ve been in an auto accident, our skilled Peachtree City car accident lawyers can help you with your claim!
