A car accident can be a life-altering experience. Without fair compensation, you may be unable to repair your vehicle, cover lost wages, or afford the healthcare that you need to cover collision-related injuries. However, getting the compensation that you deserve can be difficult, so you need to take a close look at the following 13 mistakes to avoid after a collision for the best outcome.
Your personal safety is paramount. While gathering the other driver’s information and taking the necessary steps to build your case are important, you must pay close attention to your surroundings immediately following an accident. Most collisions occur on busy roads, so it’s not a good idea to immediately hop out of your car without checking for oncoming traffic. Similarly, you should not stay put if you feel like you’re in immediate danger.
After an accident, you must jot down the other driver’s name, insurance information, license plate number, license information, and other details. You should also give your details to the other driver. Without this information, you may not receive compensation for damages resulting from the accident.
Per California law, drivers involved in a collision must stay at the scene until the police have arrived. Driving away from an accident is a criminal offense. On top of that, your insurance company will not cover damages resulting from the collision if you flee the scene. You should only ever move your car after an accident if you believe that the position of your vehicle presents a real danger to yourself or the people around you. Still, even if you must move your car, you need to stay close to the scene of the collision.
The insurance company is much less likely to cover your medical expenses if you refuse immediate medical treatment. Although you may feel fine after a crash, only a doctor can ensure that you’re safe and healthy. Many car accidents cause head injuries that patients may not immediately notice. A head injury can lead to a brain bleed, which is deadly without quick medical attention. Even if you don’t get a head injury, you may exacerbate other injuries resulting from the collision if you don’t seek immediate medical treatment.
You may feel like you’re ruining the other driver’s life by suing them. However, when you sue someone in a personal injury case, you’re actually suing their insurance company. Also, your insurer may compel you to sue the other party before they’re willing to cover damages. A lawsuit is the standard way to handle a collision, and you need a fair settlement to survive, so don’t feel bad about suing the other party to cover damages resulting from the accident.
If you were involved in a collision, then you have to call the police. They will take pictures and put together a report, and the court will use this evidence in your case. Failure to call the police after an accident is a misdemeanor. Moreover, your insurance company will not cover damages if you don’t call the police after a collision.
A car accident is a stressful situation, and people are more likely to make poor decisions under pressure. You may feel the need to apologize to the other driver, but this knee-jerk reaction can seriously undermine your case. The other party, their insurer, and their lawyers will present your apology to the court as an admission of fault. Every shred of evidence counts, and such an admission of liability can easily sway the court against you. Thus, while you don’t need to be rude, you should be very brief and unapologetic in your interactions with the other driver, the insurance company, court personnel, and other interested parties until the case has concluded.
The court may take payment for costs resulting from the collision as an admission of liability. It can be tempting to pay for accident-related damages as quickly as possible so that you don’t have to worry about them anymore, but it will only undermine your case. While the legal process can take a while, you stand to save a lot of money by hiring a skilled attorney to help you get the compensation that you deserve.
The people at the insurance company might act like they’re concerned about you, but really, saving money is their main priority. Because of this, they will do whatever they can to avoid covering damages. They may try to lull you into a false sense of security or ask leading questions to make you say something that will allow them to deny your claim.
Certain laws compel you to notify your insurance company of a collision, but you shouldn’t go into detail about any damages or the sequence of events leading to the accident. Instead, you should have a skilled car accident attorney communicate with your insurance company on your behalf. Personal injury attorneys understand how insurance companies operate in California, and they will help you share the necessary information with your insurer without sabotaging your claim.
You might feel like you have an open-and-shut case, but personal injury lawsuits are very complicated. The other party’s lawyer knows the ins and outs of California law, and they’ll use every trick in the book to undermine your case. Without a personal injury lawyer who understands California’s legal system by your side, you will likely lose your case. Although legal services aren’t free, you should think of the cost of a car accident attorney as an important investment in your financial future.
Even close friends and family members may have to testify against you if the court believes that they have information about the collision. The other side is desperate for any reason to undermine your case so that they don’t have to cover your damages. Discussing details of the accident with the other party, police officers, insurance companies, friends, or family members can only harm you, so you shouldn’t talk about the case to anybody other than your lawyer.
Your attorney needs as much evidence as possible to help you win your personal injury case. Therefore, you need to share all relevant evidence with your lawyer. Although a piece of evidence may seem insignificant, you have nothing to lose by sharing it with your attorney. You should contact all witnesses, reach out to nearby homes and businesses for surveillance footage, and pursue all leads to give your lawyer more evidence to work with.
The other party might try to quickly settle out of court. While it may be tempting to accept an early settlement, they won’t pay you as much as you deserve if you settle out of court, and you can lose all recourse if you take money from the other party. An early settlement offer is a big sign that the other party has little confidence in their ability to win the case. With that in mind, you should trust your personal injury lawyer to help you get a settlement that will actually cover damages and help you get your life back together.
A car accident can be very expensive, and you may not be able to afford to live a normal life without fair compensation. Your insurance company and the other party’s legal team will do everything in their power to avoid covering your damages. You don’t want to end up with massive bills and no legal recourse, so you need to reach out to Avian Law Group today to greatly increase your odds of reaching a fair settlement.