Brian White | November 13, 2020 | Auto Accidents
Getting the most money from a car accident is nothing to be ashamed of because you deserve just compensation after being injured by another person. You deserve to be compensated for your financial losses, physical injuries, and emotional suffering. However, the insurance company does not agree with you.
The other driver’s insurance company does not want to pay you the full value of your car accident claim. It wants to deny your injury claim, if possible. If it cannot deny your injury claim, it wants to pay as little as possible to settle the claim.
However, there are things that you can do to improve your chance of receiving maximum compensation for your damages after a car crash.
Five Things You Can Do to Get More Money for a Car Accident Claim
While there are no guarantees when working with a personal injury claim, these five steps can increase your chances of receiving a fair settlement for your car accident case.
1. Hire a Car Accident Attorney
Hiring a car accident lawyer can be one of the best ways to increase the odds of success in your favor. An accident lawyer understands the laws related to your case, bad faith insurance tactics, and the value of damages in a car accident case.
Attorneys have the skills, resources, and time to investigate the crash to gather evidence proving fault and liability. Proving fault is essential for recovering maximum compensation for a car accident claim. If the insurance company thinks it can blame you for contributing to the cause of the crash, it may lower the value of your claim.
An insurance company will also take advantage of a person who does not have an attorney to undervalue the claim. The company knows that most people do not know how to calculate pain and suffering damages. Therefore, the company offers a lower settlement amount than the value of the claim to entice people to settle the claim before they speak with an injury lawyer.
Lastly, a car accident attorney helps you avoid mistakes that could lower the value of your claim, such as providing statements to the insurance company.
2. Do Not Provide Written or Recorded Statements to the Insurance Company
A car insurance adjuster might ask you to provide a written or recorded statement after your car accident. Do not agree to provide a statement. Something you say could hurt your claim.
Claims adjusters are trained to get you to answer questions that could lead to responses that can be intentionally misconstrued. For example, asking you if you are doing okay sounds innocent and caring. However, if you say you are “fine” or “okay,” that response could come back to claim you are exaggerating your symptoms.
Likewise, the adjuster might ask you questions about your day. He might ask what you had for breakfast or what time you woke up. He might ask you to go through your entire routine that day.
The adjuster hopes that you say your alarm did not go off, or you had to skip breakfast because you were running late. Maybe you say that you had a huge presentation at work, so you were stressed on the day of the accident.
Those statements could result in allegations that you were rushed or stressed, which contributed to the cause of a speeding accident or distracted driving accident. If you were partially at fault for the cause of the crash, you could receive much less money for a personal injury claim.
Before talking to an insurance adjuster, call a personal injury lawyer. Remember, most telephone calls with the insurance company are recorded, even though you might not be informed of the recording.
3. Seek Immediate Medical Treatment
Prompt medical care is essential after a car accident. You could have sustained serious injuries that you might not be aware of for a few hours or days after the accident. However, you could experience symptoms that you might not associate with an injury, such a traumatic brain injury, internal organ damage, or neck injuries.
A doctor can correctly diagnose your injuries and develop a treatment plan. Make sure that you follow the treatment plan, and keep all future doctor’s appointments.
Delays in medical care are used by insurance providers to allege that the car crash did not cause your injuries. The insurance company might also allege that you are exaggerating your symptoms or making up an injury if you do not have sufficient medical evidence to support your injury claim.
4. Document Your Damages Carefully
Throughout your case, document your damages. Tell your doctor about each of your symptoms, regardless of how minor the symptom might seem or whether or not you believe that a symptom is related to the car wreck.
Keep copies of all invoices, receipts, bills, and other evidence of expenses and financial losses. Examples of out-of-pocket expenses and financial losses related to a car accident claim include loss of income, medical expenses, help with household chores, cost of personal care, travel to and from medical visits, medications, and medical supplies.
You may also want to start a pain and suffering journal. Write down your daily pain levels, mental state, activities you cannot attend, and tasks you cannot perform. The more information you provide to your attorney, the better chance you will receive maximum compensation for your claim.
5. Do Not Discuss Your Accident or Injuries Online
Anything you say online could potentially be used in court against you during a personal injury trial. It is a good idea to stop posting on social media until after your car accident case settles. Do not let friends or family members post information about you or pictures of you online.
Do not discuss your injuries or the accident through email or text messages, except with your lawyer’s office, if he advises you to do so.
If you have questions about the steps you need to take to protect your right to fair compensation after a car accident, contact a car accident lawyer. Do not trust the insurance company to give you advice that is in your best interest.
Contact the Houston Car Accident Lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers For Help
For more information, contact the Houston car accident law firm of Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (713) 224-4878.
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Houston, TX 77098
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