About 13 car accidents happen every minute. It can be a traumatic experience that leaves a person with lasting emotional and physical injuries.
If you’re going to get compensation for your damages, there are certain auto accident lawsuit mistakes that you have to avoid. Simply posting about your case on social media can give a defense attorney the ammo they need to use against you in court.
Filling out the paperwork involved with your case can be a bit complicated. If you make a single mistake on the forms, it could cost you. If you lie about the fine details of the case, or omit the truth, you will get caught.
Read on to learn more about what you should and shouldn’t do when involved with an auto lawsuit.
Table of Contents
1. Throwing Evidence in the Trash
If you toss the police report from your accident in the garbage, it can have an impact on your case because it’s an important piece of evidence. The same goes for your hospital records.
When in doubt, talk to your lawyer before you throw anything away. They’ll let you know what you need to keep.
2. Lying
Honesty is the best policy. If, for example, you attempt to exaggerate your injuries, it will come to light when the court does its research.
If you’re caught in a lie, there’s a good chance you’ll lose all the compensation that you would have gotten. Putting false information on your insurance claim will void everything.
Tell your lawyer the truth. It might result in a lower payout, but it’s better than losing your auto accident case.
3. Not Talking to a Doctor
After your crash, go straight to a doctor, even if you feel fine. A serious auto accident injury, such as whiplash, may not show itself for several days.
If you wait, the insurance company may try to claim that your damages aren’t as severe as you’re letting on. If you need ongoing treatment for your injuries, don’t skip a single appointment. Doing so would also make it seem like you’re not actually hurt.
When you’re talking to your doctor, be sure not to omit a single detail of your accident. That includes any minor discomfort. A small twinge in your side can turn into a major medical issue later on.
Telling your physician everything will allow them to diagnose you properly. You can also use their report in court.
4. Failing to Take Pictures
Every bit of evidence helps. While waiting on the police and ambulance to arrive at the scene of the crash, take pictures.
Capture the state of your vehicle. If you have scratches or a broken limb, take a picture of it.
If one of the personal items you had in the vehicle with you was damaged, snap a pic.
5. Posting Case Details on Social Media
You should never talk to anyone about the status of your case. As much as you may want to vent to a close friend or family member, anything you say can be used against you.
Defense attorneys may try to get in touch with you to chat. No matter how much they attempt to probe you for information, ignore them. The only attorney you should talk to is your own car accident lawyer.
Of course, defense attorneys are crafty. They’ll try to get the information they want by checking out your social media page. That’s why you should avoid posting anything regarding your case.
6. Form Errors
There are a lot of auto accident lawsuit documents that you’re going to have to fill out. All it takes is making a mistake on one of them to hurt your case.
On top of the other forms you have to fill out, insurance companies may attempt to get you to sign documents of their own. Don’t put your name on anything until your lawyer has a chance to look over it.
Your attorney will prevent you from giving an insurance company access to your medical records, for example.
7. Failing to Obtain a Copy of the Police Report
When the police arrive at the scene of an accident, they begin crafting a police report. You are entitled to a copy of it for your own records. In most cases, your lawyer will pick one up for you.
If you haven’t hired an attorney yet, you can get a copy of the report yourself. All you have to do is stop by the police station after you’ve had your injuries examined.
If you fail to gain a copy of the report, you’ll be missing out. As stated above, it’s a crucial piece of evidence you can use in court.
8. Waiting to Talk to a Lawyer
The longer you wait to talk to an attorney and get your lawsuit started, the weaker your case is going to get. You may lose access to key witnesses.
There are certain documents that are time-sensitive. You may start to forget the fine details of the accident. Some states have a limit on how long you can wait to file a personal injury lawsuit.
This being said, hiring a lawyer is one of the first things you should do after an accident. Get the wheels in motion before they have the chance to come to a screeching halt.
Auto Accident Lawsuit Mistakes to Avoid
There are a lot of auto accident lawsuit mistakes you can make after a crash. Something as small as posting on social media or failing to sign a piece of paper on time can dramatically alter your case.
Don’t let that happen to you! Get in touch with a lawyer today, and for more tips that will help you win your lawsuit, visit the Traffic Law section of our blog.