Millions of people every year suffer personal injuries requiring medical treatment. Whether from car accidents, slips and falls, or other mishaps, personal injuries can cause a world of hurt.
If you’re injured in an accident, you should see your doctor for a thorough assessment. You should then contact a personal injury lawyer to determine if you have reasonable grounds for a personal injury claim. While some situations don’t warrant pursuing legal action, others do. Only by consulting a lawyer in the personal injury space will you know if you should file a claim.
But even if a lawyer believes your situation warrants filing a personal injury case, certain missteps can weaken the claim.
Here are five mistakes you must avoid at all costs.
1. Exaggerating or Flat-Out Lying
One of the worst things you can do is exaggerate the extent of your injuries. Even worse is flat-out lying and claiming injuries that you don’t have. The optics won’t look good if you claim one thing while the medical documentation suggests another. Pulling out all the stops and “faking it until you make it” to get as much money as possible could backfire.
A reputable lawyer will leave no stone unturned to get you a fair compensation sum for injuries, lost wages, medical care, and whatever else you qualify for. Faking or exaggerating injuries for financial gain could lead to insurance fraud charges.
So, stick to the truth and let your personal injury lawyer represent you in the courtroom and at the bargaining table. Your legal professional can only truly help you if you’re honest.
2. Presenting a Contradicting Message Online
According to Pew Research, around seven in 10 Americans use Facebook, while around 47% use Instagram. While social media has its place, be wary about how you use it during a personal injury case. Your lawyer will likely advise you to take a hiatus from social media or be careful about how you use it. It’s best to avoid doing anything that weakens your claim.
If you’re off work because of a personal injury, posting pictures of you having fun in the sun, going on an epic road trip, and living it up could send the wrong message. An insurance company could use your social media posts to argue your supposed injuries aren’t nearly as serious as you allege. If you don’t want to hurt your case and make your personal injury lawyer’s job much harder, be careful about what you post on social media.
3. Failing to Record Evidence
Another big mistake is failing to record evidence relevant to your personal injury case. Your lawyer needs the facts and evidence to back them up. If involved in a car accident, get the police report, take pictures, and record video of the accident scene.
You should also get the contact information of others involved in the accident and witnesses. And obtain all documentation from doctor visits and consultations with medical professionals.
4. Waiting Too Long to File Your Personal Injury Claim
Yet another mistake to avoid is waiting too long to file a claim. It’s best to pursue one immediately after a personal injury situation. That means calling a personal injury lawyer for a consultation to determine if you have grounds to pursue a claim. There are statutory time limits for filing claims. So, waiting too long could leave you with no recourse.
5. Dealing With the Insurance Company Without Your Lawyer’s Involvement
One mistake sure to hurt your case is speaking directly with the insurance company. Your lawyer should deal with the insurer on your behalf. Decline to sign any documents without consulting your personal injury lawyer beforehand. If you sign a legally binding settlement offer without getting your legal professional’s input, there may be nothing they can do afterward.
Avoid these five mistakes if you don’t want to lower the odds of success for your claim. A reputable personal injury lawyer will help. But you could make it harder for them to help you if you do things you shouldn’t or don’t do things you should.
