You have a lot on your plate after being injured in a car accident. Your immediate needs include seeking medical treatment and focusing on your recovery, but you’ll also have long-term considerations to take into account, such as your mobility and your emotional and financial well-being.
A lot of accident victims think that a personal injury lawsuit can provide them with the relief that they need, and rightfully so. But these cases aren’t always as easy as they seem. In fact, all too often car accident victims make mistakes that jeopardize their claim. Don’t let that happen to you.
Mistakes to avoid in your personal injury case
Believe it or not, there are a ton of mistakes that can be made during a personal injury lawsuit. This includes each of the following:
- Admitting fault: Making statements that are indicative of fault can quickly ruin your case. They can lead to a reduced recovery or even outright denial of your claim, which can leave you in tough spot moving forward. So, be careful with what you say, and don’t apologize for anything. Keep in mind, too, that your statements might be twisted out of context and used against you, which is why you’ll want to be extra cautious with what you say.
- Not following treatment recommendations: If you want to recover compensation for your damages, then you’ll need to be ready to present evidence. Much of this will come from your medical records evincing the extent of your injuries and your need for ongoing care. If you skip some of your doctor’s recommendations, then you miss the opportunity to create that record and generate that evidence.
- Loosely talking to the insurance company: It’s inevitable that you’ll have to communicate with the insurance company after your accident. But you’ll have to be careful with what you say to representatives from this company, as they can and will use your statements against you to try to deny your claim.
- Settling too quickly: Your case is bound to head to negotiations before landing in trial. But you want to make sure that you’re getting what you deserve out of your claim. Therefore, be sure that you’re not settling your claim for less than it’s worth, which is what the other side will aim for when they make their initial offers.
- Over-utilizing social media: Although social media can be a great outlet while you deal with your frustrations and anger, it can also be problematic for your claim. In a lot of instances, social media posts are used against accident victims to show that they aren’t as injured as they claim to be. These posts can threaten your ultimate recovery, which is why it’s best to just stay off social media until your case resolves.
- Exaggerating the facts: You have to be honest in your personal injury case. If you lie or exaggerate the facts, then the other side will find out and bring that information to the court. This will paint you in a bad light, potentially reduce your recovery, and it could even cause your claim to be denied altogether.
Don’t be your own worst enemy in your case
As you can see, there are a lot of mistakes that can be made when pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. To avoid them and increase your chances of winning your case and recovering the compensation that you need, you should make sure you adequately prepare your claim. To learn more about how to do that, please continue to read our blog and find out more about how to prepare an effective car accident personal injury case.