After a car accident, you may be scared and confused about the seriousness of your injuries, possible loss of income, and damage to your car and other important stuff. Of course, if the accident occurred because of another driver’s recklessness, the first thing that comes to mind is to seek compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
The claim filing procedure is no child’s play. A few mistakes along the way can easily cost you your rightful financial compensation.
Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid if you are involved in a car accident in Florida:
Mistake #1: Not Hiring a Lawyer
Just because you are sure you were injured because of another driver’s negligence doesn’t mean you will automatically receive financial compensation. Insurance companies are becoming bolder by the day at denying claims, even when it is obvious their client is liable for your injuries.
They will mostly want to exploit your lack of knowledge of the law to make you look like you were partly responsible for the car accident or that their client is not guilty. In the presence of a Miami car accident attorney, the insurance company will be more careful about your claim, and will certainly offer a worthy settlement.
Mistake #2: You wait too long to see a doctor
Some injuries do not develop immediately after the accident. You may thus ignore the little discomfort in your limb or back and go on with your life oblivious of the complications awaiting you. Remember, for your injury to be considered in a personal injury claim, you must have seen a medical provider within 14 days of the accident. If you are going to do it three months later when the injury has become apparent, the insurance may ignore you and the court may dismiss your lawsuit.
Mistake #3: You don’t call the police
You may find it unnecessary to inform the police about a car accident if the accident is minor, and you reckon you can handle it with the at-fault party without necessarily involving the authorities. Well, this is a mistake that insurance companies use to evade paying out settlements.
It is important to call the police so they can investigate the accident and record important facts that you may find useful in case the matter goes to trial. A crash report from the police is what is used to determine who is at fault for an accident, so it is crucial that they conduct investigations of the scene immediately after the accident.
Mistake #4: You admit fault of the accident
It is very easy to find yourself apologizing to other parties following an accident that you may not even be at fault for. The other individuals may be in worse shape than you, and this may prompt you to say sorry.
Apologizing to another driver is an implicit way of admitting fault which may come to haunt you later when seeking compensation. The best thing to do is to help the injured driver get medical attention by calling emergency services or the police.
