A Veteran-Owned Law Firm Serving Virginia, West Virginia And Ohio

Can These 3 Mistakes Make A Car Crash Claim More Difficult?

On Behalf of | Sep 29, 2022 | Car Accidents

The damages caused by a car accident can be quite extensive, leaving you with significant physical pain and suffering, mental turmoil and financial devastation. But if your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, then you may be able to offset those losses by pursuing legal action. But the process of building your personal injury lawsuit begins almost immediately after your wreck. With that in mind, you need to be aware of some common mistakes that people make that result in their cases being more challenging to prove.

What three mistakes do you need to avoid?

 There are three big mistakes that you’ll want to avoid as you start navigating your personal injury case. Let’s look at them here:

  1. Not getting medical attention and not following doctor recommendations: It’s important to remember that even if you prove that the other driver was responsible for your accident, you’re still going to have to prove your damages. It’s hard to do this if you don’t seek out needed medical treatment and follow your doctor’s recommendations. In fact, if you don’t obtain treatment or follow up as your doctor recommends, then you may foreclose your ability to recover compensation for the treatment that you’ll need. This may also impact the amount of compensation that you recover for physical pain and suffering and mental anguish.
  2. Accepting a settlement that is too low: A lot of car accident victims want to recover compensation as quickly as possible. But it’s important to keep in mind that the other side is going to try to lowball you with their initial offer so that they can try to avoid as much liability as possible. They might try to fill you with doubt as far as your likelihood of success should you go to trial, and they might indicate that they can’t go any higher than what is in the initial settlement. Don’t buy into these kinds of negotiation tactics. Instead, make sure that you’re prepared to present your strongest evidence during settlement talks and have a firm understanding of what your case is worth.
  3. Not talking to a lawyer: Many car accident victims are afraid to work with an attorney as they pursue their recovery. Some of them are afraid that an attorney will be too costly or that it will delay the process too much. But the reality is that many attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that they don’t get paid until they recover compensation for you. This motivates the attorney to work hard to not only win your case, but also to recover as much compensation as possible. Also, an attorney is going to be better positioned to protect your interests and advocate for the outcome that you deserve. In other words, an attorney will work hard to ensure that you’re not cheated out of what you deserve.

Build the persuasive case that you need to succeed

There’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed on your personal injury case. However, there are certainly things that you can do and should avoid doing in order to increase your chances of winning on your claim. Sure, it can be stressful, and the stakes are high, but an attorney who is experienced in handling personal injury cases can help you gather evidence, craft legal arguments, and negotiate and litigate in an aggressive and persuasive fashion. Hopefully then you can achieve the outcome that provides you with financial stability and furthers your treatment.