What Are Some Common Mistakes That Could Hurt My Case?

There are a number of potential pitfalls that well meaning persons fall into in the prosecution of their personal injury claim. One of the most common mistakes is telling the police officer at the scene that you have not been injured in the automobile accident. Due to the natural adrenaline rush that occurs when you have been involved in car wreck, it is not uncommon for your injuries to go unnoticed for several hours and sometimes even days following the accident. While not fatal to your claim by any means, stating to anyone that you were not injured in the auto accident will surely be raised by the insurance adjuster as a defense to your claim.

Another common mistake that can hurt your case is a delay in treatment or a gap in receiving medical treatment. The longer you wait to see a medical provider following an automobile accident, the greater the likelihood that the insurance adjuster for the at fault driver will claim the automobile accident is not the cause of your injury. Likewise, if you begin medical treatment but you do not continue the medical treatment, or there are gaps in the medical treatment for several weeks or months, the claims adjuster for the at fault driver will often raise that as a defense to the causation element of your claim.

Another common mistake you should avoid is failing to document all of your injuries. It is not uncommon for an injured person to tell treatment providers about the injury that is causing them the most pain at the time, to the exclusion of other injuries which are relevant to their claim. It is not at all uncommon for a car wreck to cause you to suffer multiple injuries which can affect you in varying degrees over the course of your treatment. For instance, your primary concern might be your neck and back while a secondary concern may be your knee, shoulder or some other part of your body. It is important that you make your treatment providers aware of all of your injuries on each and every visit. It is also important for your medical treatment provider to document as much as possible about your injuries, your limitations, and how they are related to the automobile accident.

However, the most common mistake we notice occurs when an injured person waits months or even years before contacting an attorney. An experienced attorney can help you negotiate the treatment and claims process from the beginning, minimizing potential pitfalls, gaining valuable information before it is lost and most importantly, protecting your right to receive the full value of your losses. If you have been injured in an automobile accident please contact one of our attorneys as soon as possible.