Being involved in a car accident is a stressful situation that can carry life-long consequences to its victims. The aftermath can get even more confusing and complex for you when the medical expenses start to pile up, insurance claims get rejected, and the involved parties refuse to acknowledge their responsibility in the incident. If you need to lawyer up after a car accident, take precautions from these 4 mistakes that can break your case in court.
1. Forget to Gather Evidence
At this point, everyone has a smartphone capable of taking good-quality pictures on the spot.
If you don’t take photos of the scene and the injuries you’ve suffered, you won’t be able to build a strong case or successfully claim your insurance to its fullest. Your insurance policy may also require backup information to allow the policy to fully kick in. While having the police report copy is helpful to build up your case, you will have a much harder time moving the case forward if it’s your word against the defendant.
2. Admitting your Guilt in the Accident
Some insurance companies may contact you after the incident to convince you to sign documents or give statements to their agents. You should never sign anything without talking to a lawyer first. When in doubt about how to proceed, you can go to this page for more information since insurers tend to resort to strategies and tactics to try to pay less than intended. Placing any statement in the record without legal consultation can also place you as the guilty party without evidence backing up the claim.
3. Refuse to Exchange Contact Information
After a vehicle accident, once you’ve deemed everyone in your car is out of immediate danger and doesn’t require urgent medical attention, one of the basic actions after that is to talk to the other drivers involved and get their contact and insurance information. Failing to do so will make it almost impossible to serve any lawsuit if the other driver. If you’re the one refusing to give your contact information to the other driver, in some states they can still take pictures of your driver’s license and file a lawsuit based on that information alone.
4. Not Seeking Medical Assistance
Even if you feel okay after the accident, many symptoms can appear weeks or months later. They can significantly hinder your quality of life if you don’t get a diagnosis on time. Insurance policies won’t cover these medical expenses if you do not visit a doctor and show the medical report as soon as possible. You risk suffering consequences to your mental or physical health that will cause a strain on your financial situation and potentially cause a lot of distress in your family. Your health should always go first.
Note that a vast majority of cases tend to settle out of court, ranging between two months and two years. However, this should never stop you from seeking compensation for the physical and emotional damages caused by the car accident. If you research your rights properly, you will have better chances to solely focus on your recovery rather than stress on the legal process.
