When you find yourself injured due to being involved in an auto accident, bitten by a dog, or perhaps after slipping and falling in a store aisle or parking lot, you will be facing an uncertain future medically and financially.
Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may have months of doctor’s appointments and physical therapy ahead of you, all of which will result in thousands of dollars in medical bills.
This, coupled with the likelihood of being unable to return to your job for an extended period of time, makes it essential you file an injury claim to be compensated following your accident.
To increase the odds your injury claim will be successful, here are five mistakes you can easily avoid along the way.
Admitting Fault for the Accident
No matter the situation you find yourself involved in, never under any circumstances say anything that others can construe as you admitting fault for the accident.
Whether it is after a car accident or other type of accident, be very careful what you say to police, doctors, witnesses, and especially representatives from insurance companies.
Unfortunately, even if you say something as simple as “I’m sorry” to others in an attempt to be polite, this will be taken as your admission of fault.
Should this happen, your injury claim could be doomed before it gets started.
Failing to Get Medical Treatment
Along with inadvertently saying something that sounds as if you are admitting fault for your accident, failing to get immediate medical treatment is also a serious mistake that could derail your efforts to gain much-needed compensation.
Unfortunately, many accident victims who don’t think they are seriously injured at the time refuse or delay medical treatment.
When this happens, insurance companies have a prime opening to claim you were not seriously injured in your accident.
Since head injuries and other injuries may not display symptoms until several hours later, always get medical treatment as quickly as possible after your accident.
Trusting the Insurance Company
If there is one reason alone why you should always hire experienced and knowledgeable injury lawyers following an accident, it is to have them negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.
If you don’t take this immediate step and instead trust what the insurance company is telling you, nothing good will happen. In some cases, the insurer will simply deny your claim.
In other situations, the insurance company may offer you a quick settlement, but it will be for far less than you need to pay medical bills and replace lost income.
Therefore, always have a skilled attorney on your side from the start.
Missing Filing Deadlines
In any personal injury case, there is a statute of limitations that gives accident victims only a certain amount of time to file their claims.
If you miss this deadline, you will simply lose out on your chance to gain compensation you and your family need and deserve.
Since these are very strict deadlines, most courts will not grant you any leeway, and will instead determine that you have forfeited your right to file an injury claim.
However, you can avoid making this mistake by not procrastinating following your accident. By meeting immediately with a personal injury attorney, you can discuss your case in more detail, learn