Things to Avoid When Filing a Personal Injury Claim

After being injured in any type of accident, you will want to meet with a trusted personal injury attorney to receive advice on what to do next and to help you through the process of filing a claim. You may have been told what you need to do to file a claim. However, keep in mind that there are some things you always want to avoid when filing a personal injury claim.

Personal Injury Claim

A personal injury claim is a legal dispute after one person has suffered an injury in an accident and another party is legally held responsible. During a claim, evidence must prove that the other party must have shown negligence, causing harm. A Philly accident lawyer will build a strong case for you, taking care of all of the difficult parts such as dealing with the insurance companies and the other parties involved. This is why talking with a personal injury attorney after being involved in an accident is important, especially to know all of your options and to know what to expect so that you get the most that you deserve out of your case. Every proper step you take helps with a successful claim.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Before you do anything, always seek medical attention right away after being injured in an accident. If you don’t follow through with this, you are pretty much stating that you are not injured and it is very difficult to file an injury claim later on down the road. Your injury must be proven with medical documentation. If you wait to receive medical attention, there could be the question that your injury didn’t stem from the accident, making your case very difficult to win. Even if you are unsure if you are injured (remember, some injuries take weeks to surface) it is smart to always be evaluated by a medical professional right after an accident--never wait or decline medical treatment. After receiving medical treatment, it is important to never stop treatment early. You should always keep going with your therapy and treatment options until officially discharged. All of these things will be documented by your doctor, which will be used as evidence in your case.

Don’t Miss Any Important Information

Next, never miss getting any information from the other party involved. Proper documentation is crucial for any personal injury claim. This means getting the name, address, phone number and insurance information from everyone involved in the accident. Also, get the contact information of any witnesses. You want to always be upfront and honest with all of your information as well and be as cooperative as possible. This means never lie about your information, about your injuries or about what happened during the accident. Official statements are always going to come into play during your claim.

Don’t Speak with Insurance Companies Without Proper Guidance

Most importantly, never talk to insurance companies without first speaking with an attorney. Your attorney will prepare you on what to say as insurance companies know what they are doing and will try to get an early statement from you to settle for less. Insurance companies are known for trying to trap victims into saying something they shouldn’t to impact the settlement. Speak with an attorney to receive legal advice and always keep in mind that less is actually more when it comes to speaking with another insurance company.

Never Settle Without Proper Legal Representation

Of course, you never want to settle without the legal representation of a Philadelphia injury attorney. You will always receive more from your claim with the help and expertise of a skilled attorney as they understand how the system works. Avoid making any negotiations without an attorney present as well. Your attorney is a professional when it comes to personal injury cases and know how to properly negotiate with insurance companies and other parties involved.

Edelstein Law

At Edelstein Law, we will aggressively work for you from the very beginning of your case, following through until the very end. We are a well-recognized and respected law firm in the Philadelphia area that has significant experience representing injured victims and their families involved in personal injury cases. From auto accidents to slip and fall accidents, Edelstein Law can assist you with any personal injury claim.