When you’ve been involved in a car accident that has resulted in serious injuries, it is important that you’re being compensated. Insurance companies will always play hardball and the whole process of filing for a claim can be a challenging endeavor. It is imperative that you’re getting in touch with an experienced attorney to help with the process. Here are some of the mistakes that are likely to ruin your claim and what you can do to avoid them.
Table of Contents
Lying About Injuries
Insurance fraud cases have become too common and it is easy for frauds to be identified. There is no legitimate attorney that will want to work with a person that is not genuinely hurt in an accident and is after reaping off the insurance company. The majority of people that go on Google to search for how to sue someone for car accident have genuinely been injured and so should you when searching for a personal injury attorney. You might also be injured but then provide false information to the insurance company. This will make the claim null and void once the investigations have been concluded.
Applying Too Late
There is a statute of limitations when it comes to personal injury cases. If you’ve been involved in an accident, it is crucial that you’re filing for a claim as soon as it is possible to do so. The duration in which you’re allowed to apply will vary from one state to the next. If you fail to apply within a year of the accident happening, you will not be eligible to receive the No-faults insurance benefits.
Not Sticking the Doctor’s Appointment
Insurance companies will want to look for a reason to pay as little as possible when it comes to compensation. You don’t want to give them the reason for not doing so by failing to honor the doctor’s appointment. The insurance company will argue that there is no reason why you’d want to be compensated for the injuries when you can’t take the doctor’s appointments seriously.
Disposing of Evidence
Evidence is going to play a big role in determining who is at fault. When you dispose of the evidence, you’ll only be making it hard for the attorney to come up with a formidable case for your claim. Make sure that you’re taking pictures and videos of the accident scene. You should also ask for the contact details of the witnesses as the information will be important for your case.
Poor Communication
It will be hard for an attorney to help your case when there is a breakdown in communication. Everything will need to be in black and white if you’re to get maximum compensation for your injuries. If anything is unclear, make sure that you’re reaching out to the car accident attorney. You’ll obviously have concerns about the whole representation process and the best person to answer all the questions that you might be having will be the attorney that you’re working with.
Changing Doctors
There is nothing wrong with changing doctors but it is crucial that your attorney is aware of such a decision as it could have a bearing on the outcome of the case. If you’ve been referred to a new doctor or there are new tests that are needed, it is imperative that you’re reaching out to the doctor immediately.
Communicating to the Insurance Company
You’re under no obligation to speak to the insurance company when you have an attorney to represent you. If the insurance company requests to speak to you in person, you can refer them to your attorney. Make sure that you’re only discussing the details of the case with your lawyer.
Applying for SSD
Most insurance companies will want accident victims to apply for Social Security Disability before they can rightfully be compensated. You might be required to apply even when you’re on the path to recovery and need to return to work. You need to work with an attorney that will guide you through the process so that you’re not harming the outcome of the case. Such an attorney will know how to deal with insurance companies that are playing hardball.
Conclusion
There are so many mistakes that can be made when filing for a car accident claim. There is a high chance that you might be going through the process for the first time. It is crucial that you’re getting an attorney that will help with the process so that you’re not having to worry about dealing with insurance companies and the whole process of filing for a claim.
