If you are injured in a car accident, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries through a personal injury lawsuit. Winning a fair settlement is possible. However, your settlement amount can be negatively or positively affected by your actions following your accident.
Learn about and implement these best practices to maximize a car accident settlement offer. Doing so will give you the best chances of winning fair compensation and moving on with your life.
1. Seek Medical Treatment
After your car accident, you must seek medical treatment as soon as possible. While some injuries manifest symptoms immediately, such as broken bones or cuts, scrapes, bruises, and wounds, other medical problems don’t show up till much later.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and or long-term injuries to your spinal cord or nervous system can take days to manifest noticeable symptoms, and by then, severe damage may be done. It is essential to get medical treatment as soon as possible after your accident so that your doctor can determine the extent of your injuries and give you a treatment plan.
2. Follow Doctor’s Orders
If your doctor gives you a treatment plan, make sure you follow it exactly as written. If you fail to do so, it can be used against you in the settlement proceedings. Attend all follow-up appointments, take medication as prescribed, and keep documentation of any visits you make to physical therapy or other entities related to injury treatment. It’s also a good idea to document your injuries and healing with detailed daily notes and photos if possible.
3. Stay Off Social Media
One of the best things you can do to maximize your chances at a fair settlement is to stay away from social media. It may be tempting to post pictures of the accident or your injuries or to make a post telling your side of the story, but ultimately these actions can be used against you and lower your settlement amount. The less information you share, the lower the chance that the defendant’s lawyers or insurance company can use a piece of information against you.
Avoid doing the following on social media after an auto accident:
- Posting pictures of your injuries
- Posting pictures of your car damage
- Posting pictures of the accident scene
- Posting pictures of the other driver, their car, or their information
- Talking about the accident, including who is at fault or what caused the collision
- Talking about witnesses or police, or other involved parties
If you had passengers in your car at the time of the accident, you must ask them to refrain from posting about the incident as well. Their social media can also be used as evidence that you were at fault for the accident, potentially causing problems in your case.
4. Don’t Talk to the Insurance Company
After your accident, you can expect a phone call from the other driver’s insurance company. It is in your best interests to avoid talking to anyone from the insurance company without the guidance of a qualified car accident lawyer.
The insurance company who contacts you is probably doing so to:
- Attempt to gather a statement that indicates you are culpable in the accident
- Offer you a low settlement amount
The bottom line is that the insurance company will act in their best interests, not yours, so do not communicate with insurance agents without legal guidance to maximize your settlement amount.
5. Contact a Qualified Attorney
The absolute best action you can take to maximize your settlement amount is to contact a qualified attorney who can represent your best interests and ensure your rights are protected.
The Boston car accident lawyers with Jason Stone Injury Lawyers have years of experience winning fair settlements for their clients. We can help you take the right actions after a car accident to maximize your settlement offer and communicate with insurance agents on your behalf so that you aren’t taken advantage of with a low offer.
We don’t get paid until you win your settlement, so you can feel confident seeking legal counsel at no risk.
Schedule a Free Consultation
To maximize your car accident settlement offer, work with an experienced car accident attorney from Jason Stone Injury Lawyers. Contact our law firm to schedule your free immediate case evaluation today.
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