After you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you want to do everything you can to make certain that you are fully and fairly compensated for your injuries and the pain that you have had to endure. However, it isn't uncommon for plaintiffs to make mistakes and risk their claims. Here are a few dos and don'ts to help ensure that doesn't happen to you:
Do Be Straightforward About Your Previous Medical History.
While you may want to get as much as you can out of this settlement, you won't get anywhere by lying or keeping something from your doctors. So, if you have suffered a slipped disc or any other type of injury in the past that may contribute to some of your pain today, make sure to tell the doctor. After all, if you end up going to court over this accident, the defense will dig into your past and they won't be afraid to use it against you by saying that those past injuries are causing your pain today rather than the recent accident.
Don't Post on Social Media.
It may be tempting to head straight to your Facebook or Twitter and post about your crash, but don't do it. You can bet your last dollar that the insurance company is going to go online and do some research into you. They'll be looking for anything that they can to discredit you, including party photos, gym photos, etc. Even 100 percent innocent photos can be made to look like you are doing something that you shouldn't be, so it is best to stay off of social media until the whole thing is over with.
Do Understand That You're Probably Under Surveillance.
In many auto accident cases, especially larger ones where insurance companies have a significant amount of money to lose, there is a good chance that they have someone trailing you. They will employ a private investigator to keep an eye on you. So, if you say that you injured your back and can't work, but the private investigator catches you outside playing ball with your child or mowing the yard, it's not going to look good on your part. Your credibility will be called into question.
Don't Estimate Anything.
When you are asked questions about the accident, make sure you are spot on with anything you say. If you need to guess, simply state that you aren't sure. For example, if you were rear-ended, you probably didn't see the car coming at you, right? If you are asked how fast the car was going when it hit you, you have no idea because you didn't see it. So, don't try to guess its speed. The defense may try to use it against you if the case goes to trial by saying you were exaggerating the severity of the auto accident.
The best thing you can do to ensure that you are on the right track to getting the best possible settlement is to head over to a firm like Knochel Law and hire a knowledgeable personal injury attorney who has years of experience with auto accident cases.
