Don’t Make These Mistakes After a Car Accident

Accidents come with a tremendous amount of baggage. You have may have injuries to heal from, you may have lost the ability to work for some time which means your income is affected, you may be emotionally traumatized from the experience, and it is also a high likelihood that you additionally have personal property damage. On top of all that, you have to struggle to figure out how to recoup compensation and fight with insurance companies when neither yours or the defendant’s is looking out for your best interests, all the while having no clue when the final resolution will come or if it will satisfy your full legal justice. The good news is that you don’t have to do this all alone if you incorporate the backing of experienced professional legal representation from the Arizona car accident attorneys at ELG Law.

Your behavior, including the things you say, the actions you take, your social media posts, can all affect your case and your total compensation. Without the help of a Phoenix personal injury attorney to guide you, you could make crucial mistakes that have the potential to jeopardize your claim.

Misjudging and Downplaying Injuries

Some injuries are very evident immediately, while others take a bit of time to manifest. If you don’t have blatant injuries, don’t downplay the potential that you may have been hurt. Many serious injuries don’t show themselves right away, and often, the shock of an accident, as well as the adrenaline, can cover up the symptoms of what could be a very severe injury.

Jumping too quickly to the conclusion that you were not injured can stop you from seeking the medical attention you need to heal. That doesn’t mean you necessarily need the assistance of an ambulance at the scene, but don’t rush to say you are fine until you really know you are okay. Even if you feel fine after an accident and don’t need the assistance of transportation to a hospital, seeing a medical professional who knows about accident injuries is still a step you should take to ensure your overall health and wellbeing. Medical attention should be sought after every accident.

Not Calling the Police

The importance of calling the police is significant. The police report itself can be a huge staple of building your personal injury claim. It is legitimate documentation regarding the details of the accident. Additionally, it will have the information of the other driver which is essential, plus their insurance company information.

Not Gathering Enough Evidence

Information you need to gather includes:

• The other driver’s name, address, and phone number
  • Today, almost everyone has a phone with camera capability, so it is always a good idea to capture all the details by taking a picture of the driver’s license so that you ensure you get all the information down correctly
• The other party’s insurance company name, policy number, and phone number

The more information you can gather, the stronger your case will be, such as:

• Talking to any witnesses who were at the scene and getting their information, such as name, address, email address, and phone number, in addition to their statements
• Photos, photos, photos; of the location of the accident, the damages, the environment, the scene, and even cars that were involved which may not even have hit you

Accepting the Insurance Company’s First Offer

The bottom line is the insurance company is not looking out for your best interest; they are looking out for theirs. They want to reduce their costs and close the case as quickly as possible. Therefore, they are going to try to offer you what may sound good at first, but without further investigation into what has been offered you may end up getting short-changed. 

The thing to know about accepting the offer and signing off on it is if it doesn’t end up covering your costs, you could end up dissolving your chances of ever achieving your full amount of deserved compensation. This is why having an Arizona personal injury attorney to guide you is so important to ensure you can see your full legal justice and monetary compensation to help you move forward from the accident.

The attorneys at ELG Law can help you through the entire process by answering your questions and providing direction so that you can have the strongest case possible with the best outcome. Don’t wait to call our team at either our Phoenix or Mesa Arizona law offices at 623-562-3838 and set up a free consultation to discuss your experience.