Executive Chronicles |
Any type of legal case comes with its own set of complexities; however, personal injury claims are some of the most sensitive. Such cases go through several phases including discovery stage, negotiating and a possible trial. Unfortunately, there are several missteps that many people make when filing personal injury lawsuits that might ruin a case before it even enters court. Here are five of the most common mistakes people make that can ruin their personal injury lawsuit:
Failure to Seek Medical Treatment
No matter how simple your injuries seem, you have to seek immediate medical attention following your incident. One of the first things that an insurance company does before they take on the responsibility for your injuries is assess your actions after the incident. If you headed out to a baseball game afterward, you will have a hard time proving yourself in court.
Failure to Call the Authorities
The facts surrounding a personal injury claim reign supreme over deception and lies in a court of law. This is why you should document the aftermath of an injury immediately after it occurs. Today’s digital age offers you the distinctive advantage to use your smartphone to take photos of the incident. This could be the big difference between winning and losing in a court of law. The first thing you should do is call in the police, and obtain the names and contact information of witnesses so they can provide their statements to the police.
Listening to Family and Friends
In terms of a crisis, it is natural to rely on the advice and support of loved ones. However, although they may have your best interests at heart, they are not the best placed individuals to offer you legal or medical advice. A relative may explain what he or she went through under a similar situation,’ persuading you to make critical mistakes as you file your personal injury claim. In other instances, you may be advised to self-remedy’ with a pack of ice and bandages, instead of seeking medical treatment. In any case, you can always lean on your friends and family for emotional support, but for legal advice, always seek out a personal injury attorney.
Failure to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Your personal injury claim’s failure or success is dependent on your attorney’s experience. Contact a trusted personal injury attorney as soon as your incident occurs. As you focus on your recovery, your attorney will be hard at work exploring the different facets involving your case for presentation in court. In most cases, such cases end in negotiation, so you will require a lawyer who can fight for the best possible settlement possible.
The Wrong Insurance Type
It is much easier for personal injury claims to be settled with the adequate insurance in place to pay for treatments and recovery. There are also different steps to take depending on the type of injury that happens : ThePersonal, Group insurer, lists them all. There are instances that one can get involved in an accident while driving an uninsured vehicle. In such a case, make sure that you get Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Insurance as soon as you can. Such plans protect you from injury caused by an individual without any insurance of any type.
Dealing with witnesses and the police may be the last thing you want to do after an injury, but these are critical steps that will improve your case in court. If you live in the St George area, working with an experienced St George personal injury attorney will improve your chances of getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries. But whatever you do, avoid the five mistakes in this article if you want your case to get a fair hearing in court.
