Don’t be a nice guy
After an accident people have feelings that make them behave in a way that can hurt their case. Some people feel bad for the other person involved in the accident. They feel bad they are causing them to get a ticket. The other person will sometimes beg not to call the police. Don’t feel bad. You need to be a reasonable person and call the police. Getting a police report is the most important way to document that the accident occurred and that you’re not at fault. Afterward when the other person is speaking with their insurance company it is easy for them to manipulate the facts so they appear as if they aren’t at fault. That happens a lot less when there’s an accident report.
Don’t be a fair guy
After an accident, some people naturally see both sides of an argument. This works in marital relations a lot better than in accident cases. Recognize when someone is in the wrong and be black and white about it. Let the officer know. Don’t waiver on your side of the story. Don’t be afraid to say “No, that’s wrong!” if the other person is not being accurate about what happened.
Don’t be a tough guy
Whether you are hurt a little or hurt a lot you need to get medical attention to document injury. So often, people feel ok at the scene due to the adrenaline rush that can occur after the accident. Your body is fooling you. After an accident… take a few moments to relax and if you are hurt at all check it out. If you are hurt a lot use the medical transport and go to the hospital. If you start to hurt later go to the hospital or urgent care. If you start to hurt a day later, which is incredibly common, go to the doctor and explain that you were in an accident and have been feeling worse daily since. There are many injuries, especially muscular and soft tissue injuries, like herniated discs, that continue to degenerate after an accident. Get a doctor to check you out. Medical documentation is extremely important.
Don’t be a smart guy
After an accident, the insurance company will contact you and discuss a settlement of your case. Their goal is to buy you out before you get an attorney. Why would they want to do that? Because claims with attorneys are always – not sometimes – always paid much more money than claims without attorneys. In our experience, we have taken cases where the insurance company offered the victim a settlement of $10,000 and we settled that case for $100,000 policy limits. Unless you’re a trial attorney or an insurance adjuster you do not have the experience to evaluate the value of your case.
Being a smart guy and trying to handle the case on your own can cost you a lot of money! Hire a qualified and experienced attorney like the lawyers at the LaBovick Law Group. We are available 24 hours, 7 days a week and 365 days a year for all serious and catastrophic injury cases. Call us today for a free no-obligation consultation. Remember there is no fee or cost unless we get money for you.
