Biggest Mistakes to Avoid After a Charlotte Car Accident
The moments following a car accident are very confusing and stressful. As a result, you could find yourself making a decision that you will ultimately regret when trying to obtain compensation for damages. Fortunately, with the guidance of a professional attorney, you may be able to avoid having your claim impacted by a careless mistakes.
For more information regarding the biggest mistakes to avoid after a car accident in Charlotte, feel free to schedule a consultation today.
What are the Downsides of Admitting Fault?
Admitting fault at the scene of a car accident is a mistake that could hurt a person’s case since any type of admission to a police officer, or anyone else, is admissible evidence. Without knowing everything that happened, it is not a good idea to make a statement that could be harmful to them later and potentially prevent them from recovering any money for their medical expenses.
Some drivers may want to be polite and apologize. However, the moments preceding a collision is no place for being polite and issuing an apology. The opposing party can claim that because the other driver apologized after an accident that they should be held liable since the admitted fault.
Refusing Immediate Medical Treatment
It is a mistake to refuse immediate medical treatment, even if a driver does not think they are hurt too badly. This is due to the adrenaline in a person’s body that keeps certain injuries undetected. In a matter of days, victims could find themselves requiring medical attention since their injuries are now beginning to cause more pain. As a result, the insurance company would immediately devalue the claim, because the person did not seek immediate medical attention.
Failing to Follow up with a Doctor’s Orders
Regarding a car accident case, it is a mistake not to follow a doctor’s orders or follow up with medical treatment after an accident. Any noncompliance with medical orders or treatment could be used by the insurance company against any recovery by saying that the injuries sustained by the plaintiff must have been minimal since the victim did not follow through with the doctor’s request.
Dangers of Providing Recorded Statements to a Driver’s Insurance Company
The danger in giving recorded statements to the other driver’s insurance company before consulting an attorney is that a lot of times insurance company adjusters who take recorded statements are trained to get information from people in a way that could trick them into losing their case very early by admitting some form of fault. In North Carolina, any admission of fault, even one percent, could prevent recovery.
Some insurance companies are very aggressive and contact people, if not the same day, the next day. In some cases, insurance representative have even appeared at a person’s home. Insurance adjusters will often try to win confidence by saying that they are there to help. However, they will say anything to close out the claim quickly, because the idea is if they could settle early for a smaller amount and get a release, then they may be able to head off any major issue that comes up later.
Accepting an Early Settlement Offer
In any kind of accident that is not horrendous, the other driver’s insurance company will offer a check to the person involved in the accident. Though the settlement would be advertised as a way to pay off expenses sustained as a result of the accident, the truth of the matter is that the insurance company will decide which bills they want to pay. This means that if they think a certain expense is unreasonable, they would decide to not pay it off. Victims must be weary of accepting such an offer because they would lose any opportunity they have to obtain compensation for expenses that were not accounted for in the settlement.
Failing to Contact an Attorney Following an Accident
One of the biggest mistakes to avoid following a car accident in Charleston is failing to contact an attorney. As long as the medical situation has stabilized and the victim has time to talk about it, talking to an attorney would at least help them understand what issues are involved and what steps to take to obtain the compensation they deserve.
If you have been injured in an accident, inform yourself of the biggest mistakes to avoid after a car accident in Charlotte. Doing so could maximize your ability to obtain the compensation you deserve.
