After being seriously hurt in an accident that you feel was the other person's fault, you may have decided that you need to be compensated for your medical expenses, any destruction of personal property, time off of work, and the suffering you are having to endure. However, before you file a claim, make sure that you do not make the following mistakes that could hinder your chances of winning the case and getting the compensation that you need.
1. Jumping on the First Offer the Insurance Company Gives You
One mistake that you should avoid when filing a claim is jumping on the first offer that the other person's insurance company gives to you. Before you even leave the hospital, you may have a representative from the company try to make you an offer. They do this for a couple of reasons.
First, if you accept the first monetary amount that they offer, the insurance company will probably be saving money. This number will be on the low end, so if you accept it, they do not have to pay anything higher as well as will avoid court fees from fighting a claim.
Second, as soon as you accept the offer, they will no longer be liable for any other expenses that you may incur for your medical treatments. This would leave you having to pay for them yourself. Before you accept any offer, you need to seek out an attorney to counsel you.
2. Waiting Too Long to File the Personal Injury Claim
Another mistake that you should avoid is waiting too long to file your personal injury claim. There are a couple of ways that waiting could hurt your chances of receiving compensation.
First, there is a statute of limitations that limits how long you can wait. If you wait until after this time period has passed, the claim will be thrown out. An attorney can let you know your particular state's limitations.
Second, even if you do file within the acceptable time period, the longer you wait, the more likely that the other party's lawyer will try to claim that the majority of your injuries were sustained after the fact. You should get a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident to avoid this.
Along with the above mistakes, another one that you need to avoid is trying to navigate the filing and subsequent legal proceedings on your own since there are many nuances to doing so. Contact a personal injury lawyer near you to schedule a time when you can consult with them about your case to find out how they can help you.
For more information, reach out to a personal injury lawyer today.
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