Legal Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident

By Larson Law Firm P.C. | September 20, 2016

Working with a Minot car accident lawyer helps you navigate the process while protecting your legal rights

Most of us feel the impulse to say “I’m sorry” after we’ve been in an accident. Even if the other person ran a red light and hit the side of the car, we might feel the impulse to apologize and say something about how we thought we had the green or we tried to stop but didn’t make it in time. While these comments might be well-intentioned, they can also cost you a lot of money.

What you don’t know about the law can lead you to make big mistakes after your accident, and those mistakes could cost you the settlement that you rightly deserve for your injuries and other losses. A Minot car accident lawyer from the Larson Law Firm can help you understand the mistakes to avoid and work to get you the maximum compensation the law provides.

One of the biggest and most common mistakes that we see clients make is to admit fault. They may not outright say “The accident was my fault,” but they may make statements that suggest fault, such as “I’m sorry” or “I should have…” or “I was distracted.” Any of these statements can be used by the insurance company as evidence of your own recognition of guilt.

Other mistakes we see clients make include:

Talking to the Insurance Company

You have to be even more careful when you talk to the insurance company. The company will look for any evidence of liability on your part, and they will use anything that you say against you. It is better to avoid talking to the insurance company altogether unless you are accompanied by your attorney. Your lawyer can help you understand what you should and should not say to avoid incriminating yourself or jeopardizing your claim.

Talking to Others about the Accident

You may feel like you are safe confiding in your friend or your sister about the accident, but any person that you talk to could end up being called to testify about what you’ve said. It’s better to keep all your comments about the accident strictly between you and your attorney.

Failing to Get Medical Treatment

If you were in a relatively minor accident, you may feel like you are fine and do not need to go to the hospital. You may have serious injuries, brain trauma, muscle stiffness and other ligament damage or some other injury that is not readily apparent, but they can have serious long-term consequences. It is important that you get medical attention either from a physician, chiropractor or other person who can assist you. Do it as soon after your accident as you possibly can. Many times people feel worse a day or two after the accident and that is certainly the time at which you should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. There are two reasons for this. The main reason in our view is that medical care can actually improve your chances of improving your health sooner. If at some point you feel you have a need to make a claim for compensation, the medical evaluation will help us to demonstrate that you in fact were hurt. It will give us documents that can be used to prove that you have been injured and that you needed medical help.

Failing to Get Personal Information

In an ideal world, everyone would have insurance and everyone would call the police to handle the reporting and documentation after their accident. But that’s not the world we live in. Many people don’t have insurance and make promises about making good on any damages themselves. Some will ask you not to call the police, and you may honor their wish, thinking that the accident is not that bad. Yet if you don’t get all the person’s details, you may lose out on your opportunity to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. Get as much information as you can, including the person’s name and contact information, insurance information, make and model of the vehicle, and license plate number.

Failing to Hire a Lawyer

There is so much that the average person does not know about the law, and the insurance company will be using that lack of knowledge against you to reduce its own liability. By hiring a Minot car accident lawyer, you have a tough legal advocate on your side, fighting for your rights and protecting your interests.

You should also know that we frequently give advice without charge and that if you ever hire us for a car accident, we do not get paid unless you get paid.  In other words, there is no charge to you until something happens to your benefit.

At The Larson Law Firm, our Minot North Dakota car accident attorneys are ready to help you get maximum compensation after your accident. Money may not bring back what you’ve lost, but it can give you the means to move forward and protect your family and your financial future. Call us today at (701) 839-1777 or fill out our secure online form to schedule a free consultation.

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