Every day in America, there are a little over 16,000 car accidents. This adds up to an annual total of around 6 million vehicle crashes over the course of the year. Every 12 months, this results in more than a million deaths due to collisions and car accidents.
If you want to minimize the chances that you are going to become one of those numbers, you need to pay close attention, every time you get behind the wheel. Common sense also urges that you arm yourself with information about what to do if you crash your car, before you get into an accident situation. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.
The Top 6 Car Accident Claim Mistakes to Avoid
Without further ado, lets run through the top mistakes that can sabotage an auto accident injury claim to help you get the money you are entitled to… in full.
1 Not Getting a Lawyer
Top of our list are those who think they are better handling their case alone. A lawyer comes with a price tag, sure, but that price tag is there for a reason. They are capable of getting you a vast percentage more claim money than you are likely to get yourself. The difference is so vast that it made our top spot on our list of mistakes that can sabotage an auto accident injury claim.
2 Forgetting your Documentation
From the moment you are involved in the accident, you ought to be documenting your experience with photographic and written evidence. Visit the ER and get a report that you have been in an accident, ask the police for a copy of the incident form… all of these little details add up to a clearer case.
Tip: Check out these car accident stats.
3 Waiting Around
The more time passes between your car accident and your completed claim; the more chance there is that witnesses will forget or be harder to track down. There is a chance of evidence being destroyed over time, and of other complications. If your insurance company isn’t moving fast enough get a lawyer involved.
4 Giving into Demands
Sometimes, your insurer will invite you to do things that they will tell you are meant to help your case along. This might mean giving them a recorded statement or giving them access to health records from before the accident. If you don’t want them to claim your bad back is a pre-existing condition and didn’t happen as a result of your accident, don’t let them back you into this particular corner.
5 Accept that First Offer
Some insurance firms will offer you a low ball figure just to see if you will take it. The reason you buy insurance in the first place is to make sure you are covered medically and against liability. Don’t accept less than the full amount you are entitled to or preferably more. If you are worried about this, involving your lawyer isn’t a bad idea.
6 Forgetting to Ask
Anything that the insurance company tries to palm you off with can (and should) be questioned. Don’t let them talk you into a lower figure than you are entitled to and don’t let them convince you that injuries sustained were less than you claim. Stay in the driver’s seat and get an attorney… it really is as simple as that.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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