After being injured in a car accident, your priority should be to get the required medical care. Once you visit a physician and start the treatment plan, you may not know how you’ll clear the medical costs. You may be unable to work and not know how you’ll support yourself and family. Besides, you may be wondering how you’ll repair the car and recover from the emotional pain the car accident caused.
Nevertheless, there’s hope and that’s to file a car accident claim with the help of a car accident attorney in Toledo. Once you do this, you can recover compensation for your damaged car, medical bills, physical pain, emotional suffering, and lost wages. To increase the likelihood of getting the compensation you need, it’s worth understanding a list of things that could hurt the value of your case.
1. Accepting the First Offer from the Insurance Company
After the crash, someone from the insurance company of the liable driver may call you to know how you’re feeling and get to know your explanation of what happened. This gesture may look like a nice one, but you should know they don’t have your best interests at heart.
Chances are they’ll provide you with a low ball settlement expecting that you’ll accept it and not negotiate for additional funds. The insurance service provider of the liable driver is committed to settling the claim for the least possible amount and won’t offer you a fair deal at all.
To ensure you don’t fall into their trap, allow a car accident attorney to communicate and make negotiations with the insurance company for you.
2. Failing to Go for Medical Treatment
Most car accident victims don’t seek medical attention because they hope they are completely fine or have minor injuries. Whether you think your injury is severe or minor, you should visit the physician immediately after the accident.
Not seeking medical attention may cause the liable party’s insurance provider to argue that the accident didn’t hurt you, and that you had insignificant injuries. By visiting a doctor, you’ll protect your health and stand a chance to receive fair compensation for all of your damaged car, medications, medical treatment and other inconveniences.
3. Not Availing Documentation
After the accident, remember to consolidate ample documentation. Using your smartphone, photograph the scene of accident, vehicle damage and all injuries suffered. Also, ask the doctor for the documentation of all the visits you made to the health facility.
Documentation provides solid evidence that can help prove the liability of the other party and demonstrate that the incident left you with damages that require good compensation.
4. Apologizing for What Happened
When you are at the accident scene, you might feel like making an apology for what happened is the best thing. On the contrary, you shouldn’t apologize or admit fault for the accident. If you do this, you will give the liable party’s insurer a reason to believe that you were responsible for the crash. Even if you believe you know who contributed to the accident, wait for a thorough investigation and then share the documentation and police report with an experienced car accident lawyer.
5. Not Involving a Car Accident Lawyer
You may still file a car accident claim without help from a lawyer, but you may not collect fair compensation from it. An adept attorney can investigate the case, establish which party is at fault and update you on the value of the case.
