In an ideal world, a person who has been involved in a Southwest Florida auto accident will be able to file a simple claim with their insurance provider and in a timely manner receive a settlement that covers their damages. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Insurance companies are companies first, and in a no-fault state like Florida this often means looking after their bottom line first before their clients’ full needs. When an insurance provider finds a weak spot in your story or the events following your accident, claims adjusters won’t hesitate to take advantage if it shaves even a few dollars off of your deserved compensation.
For this reason, your Florida personal injury attorney will often give you a list of things not to do if you’ve been in an accident in the region. This helps you to avoid compromising your personal injury case and gives the insurance company a bit less to work with that they may hold against you. Some simple mistakes that are seen often by injured parties in Florida personal injury cases are:
• Failing to get immediate medical attention – Accidents cause a lot of adrenaline, and unfortunately adrenaline can really dull your senses. Immediately following an accident you may truly believe that you haven’t been injured because you don’t feel any pain, but in truth it’s just the adrenaline dulling the pain from any injuries you may have experienced. In these instances, a person may deny medical attention only to visit their doctor the following day after the stiffness and soreness has set in. Failing to get immediate medical attention can compromise your case, lead your insurance provider to not believe your injuries are as severe as you claim, or cause question as to when your injuries were actually received.
• Over or understating your injuries – It’s important to be completely honest about the state of your injuries and how you’re feeling. Downplaying your injuries in an effort to be optimistic or overstating your injuries for any reason can be detrimental to your personal injury case. Either situation can leave an air of dishonesty around your case.
• Speaking to claims adjusters before hiring a personal injury lawyer – One of the biggest mistakes an injured person can make is speaking with insurance claims adjusters before speaking to a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer. Claims adjusters will try to catch your mistakes and correspondence should be done through your legal representation.
• Failing to document your accident circumstances – After you’ve been in an accident you’ll need to work through the nerves, stress, and adrenaline and document as much as you can. Every piece of proof you can provide will back up your case and serve to strengthen your claim.
• Taking to social media – The rise of social media has created a difficult situation for those seeking injury claims after an auto accident. Updating your social media each day has become habitual for many, but anything you post could be used against you in your personal injury case. Until your case is settled, it’s best to avoid using your social media pages altogether.
The Professional Representation To Help You To Avoid These Common Mistakes
The best way you can rest assured you’re not compromising your case is to find legal representation early on. As soon as you’re able, making a call to a trusted Southwest Florida personal injury can be one of the most beneficial things you can do to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
If you have been involved in an auto accident in the Sarasota / Bradenton area on Florida’s west coast, contact the personal injury attorneys who have won more than $500 million dollars for their clients, and get your free case review today.