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7 Mistakes to Avoid when Making a Car Accident Claim

Law Firm of Walter Gabriel May 12, 2020

If you’ve fallen victim to a vehicular accident and wish to file a claim for payment, then you must be careful about your next steps. It’s not uncommon for these types of claims to be denied, and most of the time, it’s because of a common car accident claim mistake committed by the claimant.

To help give you the best chance of success, we’ve outlined some of the most common mistakes that people commit when filing a car accident claim. It should go without saying that you should avoid making the same mistakes yourself.

Common Car Accident Claim Mistakes

  1. Car Accident Claim Mistake #1 – Not hiring a personal injury lawyer

The laws surrounding personal injury and vehicular injury claims can be quite confusing. This is why hiring a lawyer who is familiar with these concepts should be your number one priority. They can help you build your case, meet all the requirements, and defend your claim should the need arise.

  1. Not getting medical attention right away

If you fail to seek medical treatment immediately after the car accident, then you’d be giving off the impression that your injuries were not serious. This would make your claim seem superfluous, causing it to likely be rejected.

  1. Not completing your medical treatment

This is related to the previous point. Should your treatment require multiple visits to the doctor, and you were for some reason unable to do so, then any injuries you had sustained will appear to be inconsequential.

  1. Not contacting your insurance provider

Your insurance provider needs to know right away if you sustained injury in a car-related accident. Failing to do so could mean that you would lose out on any benefits that you claim. In addition to this, it would make you appear as being negligent or otherwise unconcerned with the accident.

  1. Publicizing your accident

While talking about your accident isn’t inherently harmful per se, it’s usually best to simply avoid doing so altogether. Posting about it on social media or talking to the media could be taken as a sign that you are making a claim for ulterior motives.

  1. Speaking directly with the at-fault party

You should avoid contacting the other party and their insurance provider as doing so can reflect poorly on your case. This is especially harmful if you submit any type of documentation to them, as they can potentially use this as evidence against your case.

  1. Settling too early

You only get one chance to claim payment for your injuries, which means that you should wait until your treatment has completed before you agree to any type of settlement. This way, any underlying health issues or complications that doctors did not immediately diagnose is included in your claim.

Common Car Accident Claim Mistakes – Conclusion

When filing a car accident or personal injury claim, it’s important that you avoid these mistakes. This is so that you don’t inadvertently hinder your chances of success. The good news is that these common errors aren’t difficult to avoid. And having the help of a qualified attorney on your side can completely prevent them from occurring.

We are Atlanta car accident attorneys. Get in touch with us today if you need our help.