Experiencing an accident alone is painful and emotionally stressful. After receiving an injury, having to deal with a personal injury case and going through all the legal procedures can be draining. In addition to that, some victims have to deal with the insurance companies as well. Going through all of this is just impossible for an already injured victim.
That is why it is important to get legal help to make it all easier and comfortable for you. See a personal injury lawyer in Plano if you are facing the same scenario in Plano to understand what to do and avoid while dealing with an insurance company. You can also get some idea about that by reading further.
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Get in Touch with Your Insurance Company Right After the Accident
Your first and most important step after getting into an accident should be to contact your insurance company. Don’t just sit around and wait for them or someone else to reach out to you. You have to take the initial step to contact your company and inform them about your accident. This will let them understand the seriousness of your accident and condition.
This will help them launch their investigation early on. It is crucial to investigate the scene and the accident as early as possible to get fresh evidence. Otherwise, the other party can change or remove the evidence. Don’t forget to provide them with detailed information about your medical condition and other damages.
Don’t Give A Statement without Discussing it with Your Personal Injury Attorney
It sounds like a good idea to provide your recorded statement to the insurance company, but you don’t want to do something like that. Stay in contact with your personal injury attorney and consistently communicate your issues with them.
Before giving any statements to the insurance company, discuss them with your attorney. Because insurance companies can easily manipulate your statement to use them against you later. They can use it to deny your claim. So, never try to do these kinds of things without involving your attorney.
Do Document Everything
Documenting your case is very essential. Save all the related documents with you. Keep track of all your expenses related to your accident. Try to document all the receipts of your treatments, your scheduled visits to your doctor, prescriptions/medicines receipts, doctor’s notes, and documents of diagnoses.
And don’t forget to take photos of all the damages related to the accident. Take clear pictures of your injuries and the other damages. Also, take photos of the accident scene. This detailed documentation is like lifetime savings. It means that they are of great value as they can be utilized as solid evidence to support your claim in court.
Don’t Go for the Initial Offer
It is normal for insurance companies to offer a quick settlement to get rid of the case as soon as they can. However, that initial offer is not really a reliable or great offer. You deserve a fair and suitable settlement for your loss, pain, and suffering that you have to go through. That is why it is always vital to stay in contact with your attorney and ask him before accepting any offer, as the offer you should be accepting needs to be fair.
Do Seek Medical Assistance
There should not be any other step before this one; you should always go for a medical check-up after getting into an accident. It does not matter whether the accident was serious or not; you never know. There are always internal bleeding, internal injuries, or serious fractures that don’t look any serious initially.
Usually, doctors have experience in regular accident check-ups and know how to give a thorough check-up to find hidden injuries. Those hidden injuries can get worse with time, so getting your detailed checkup and required treatment is important to prevent injuries from worsening. This way, your doctor can provide you with your official medical documents that you can use as evidence for your injuries to solidify your claim further.
Don’t Sign Any Document Without Discussing it with Your Attorney
Don’t just sign any document given to you by the insurance company. You don’t even have to read the whole thing sitting there. You can just take that with you, read it keenly, and make sure that you understand all the points. Because sitting there can make you feel the pressure to sign the document without reading it properly.
Insurance companies can add some hidden clauses to stop you from seeking further settlement. There are so many tactics that insurance companies use to get rid of cases. That is why we suggest you take those kinds of documents to your attorney and have them study them deeply to prevent any issues in the future.
These steps are helpful to follow when dealing with an insurance company after experiencing a personal injury. Make sure to get help from your legal team and doctors because you are not in it alone and don’t have to be.
