ESPANOL
Immediately following a car accident, the actions you take can dramatically impact your chances of recovering a monetary award for your injuries. To give yourself the best chance at fair financial recovery, consider these four things you shouldn’t do after a car accident:
- Discuss the crash with the other driver
- Ignore your doctors’ orders
- Give a statement to the insurance company
- Delay taking legal action
By getting started promptly on a personal injury case, you could pursue the financial means to pay your medical bills, repair your vehicle, and replace your lost wages. Here’s what you shouldn’t do after an accident:
Discuss the Accident with the Other Driver
There are certain things you are required to share with the other driver following an accident. You are expected to exchange insurance information and provide the other driver with your license, among other things. Despite these requirements, you are not obligated to discuss the specifics of your case with the other driver.
When you talk to the other party involved in a crash, anything you say could end up as evidence in a claim or lawsuit. An apology could be construed as an admission of fault, even if you only expressed your concern for the other driver’s condition. Given the potential impact your words could have on your case, it is in your best interest to avoid discussing the crash’s details with the other driver.
Ignore the Orders of Your Doctor
Nothing is as important in the aftermath of a car accident as your health. Your physical well-being should be a priority, and taking care of yourself involves doing more than seeing a doctor once after an accident. If your doctor provides you with a treatment plan, you must follow it closely. Deviating from your plan could increase your recovery time or even lead to your condition worsening.
Failing to follow your doctor’s orders could also affect your personal injury case. First, you must mitigate your losses, which means preventing your injuries from worsening unnecessarily. If your failure to treat your injuries leads to additional medical expenses, you might not be entitled to recover all of them.
Give a Statement to the Other Insurance Company
If you are involved in a car accident, you could hear from the other driver’s insurance company soon after the crash. Insurance adjusters will often aggressively pursue an injured driver to secure a recorded statement from them.
Despite what the insurance adjuster might imply, you are under no obligation to give a recorded statement. Doing so could be harmful to your case. The adjuster will attempt to pin down your story or even twist your words to imply that you were at fault. Because anything you say could be used in legal proceedings, it is best to avoid speaking to the adjuster at all.
Delaying Your Personal Injury Case
The longer you wait to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, the more at-risk your financial recovery might become. A delay could give the other side an advantage, and in some situations, you could miss out on your financial recovery completely.
When you are involved in an accident, the other driver is likely to rely on their insurance company—and the insurer may provide them with legal counsel. If you delay pursuing your case, the other side could investigate the accident and develop evidence against you.
Delaying your personal injury case could also make it difficult for your attorney to develop the evidence needed to pursue compensation for your injuries. Time will only work against your case, as weather can cause evidence from the scene of the crash to disappear. Interviewing witnesses promptly is also crucial. The longer you wait to pursue your case, the more likely witnesses’ memories might fade before your attorney has the opportunity to interview them. The sooner you hire an attorney and move forward with your case, the more likely they will be to secure the evidence you need.
What You Should Do: Get a Free Case Review
Many injury law firms offer free case reviews for car accident victims. During this call, you can learn more about:
- What you should do after a car accident
- What damages you qualify to seek
- What to expect of the legal process
- How a law firm could help
You can also use this time to discuss the law firm’s services and determine if the firm is right for you.
An Attorney Could Help With Your Injury Case
While these are four things you shouldn’t do after a car accident, one thing you should consider is seeking the guidance of an injury attorney. An attorney could help you avoid many of the pitfalls that can occur shortly after a motor vehicle accident. In addition, by putting your case in the hands of legal counsel, you could find peace of mind in knowing you did everything you could to avoid these harmful mistakes.
If you are ready to move forward with your car accident case, George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is here to help. To get started with your case, call (888) 612-7001 for a free consultation as soon as possible.