Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Injury Case

Personal injury cases are full of pitfalls, all of which may make your claim less valuable or unsuccessful altogether. Therefore, you should take care to avoid some of the most common mistakes that injured parties make when they are seeking compensation for their injuries through a personal injury claim.

First, avoid talking too much about any aspect of the accident that led to your injuries or your personal injury claim in general. Your behavior will be under a microscope by the other party’s insurance company, so any missteps can seriously compromise your claim. Therefore, do not admit any degree of guilt for the accident to police officers, other parties involved in the accident, witnesses to the accident, or insurance adjusters. In fact, you generally should say as little as possible about the accident at all, especially on social media. The opposing party, his or her insurance company, and the insurance company’s attorney all are likely to look through your social media accounts to look for information that may lower the value of your claim. The only person with whom you should discuss the details of the accident and your injuries is your attorney.

Next, make sure that you see a doctor as quickly as possible following the crash. Many accident victims make the mistake of delaying their trip to the doctor because they simply don’t believe that they are injured. However, not all symptoms and injuries show up right away. You also need to start documenting any injuries that you do have as quickly as possible so that you can gather more evidence in support of your claim. Medical evidence is very powerful and is necessary to support the value of injuries for which you are seeking compensation.

Finally, don’t be tempted to simply accept the first settlement offer that you receive from the insurance company. When you have medical bills piling up and losing income due to being off work, it can seem like a good move to accept whatever offer the insurance company makes to you. Insurance claims adjusters are trained to negotiate claims for the lowest settlement value possible. This means that the first offer you receive is most likely the lowest offer that you receive. Do not accept any offer without first consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney who can place the appropriate value on your claim and evaluate the offer that you have received.

As this post illustrates, personal injury claims can be very complex and have strict requirements and deadlines that a claimant must meet in order to maintain a successful claim. Boller & Vaughan are Wisconsin motor vehicle accident lawyers who dedicate their practice to protecting the interests of the injured and their families. Call our office today to set up your free consultation and learn what options are available to you.