In the wake of a serious car accident, it is often very difficult to keep composure and focus on protecting your legal rights. But the fact is accidents and injuries put the injured in a very precarious position. Medical bills often mount and earning potential may suffer greatly for some time (learn more about the kinds of losses often suffered in car accident cases). Protecting your legal right to compensation is paramount when you find yourself injured as the result of another driver’s neglect.
This blog post will examine three ways car accident victims hurt their chances of recovering damages when a car accident occurs:
Agreeing to a Quick Settlement
After a car accident, it is quite often the case that the at-fault driver’s insurer reaches out to the victim and makes a settlement offer for damages. This frequently comes as a great relief, right? There is a quick admission of liability and the possibility to avoid a lengthy legal battle, not to mention the fact that all you need do is sign off on the settlement and you get a lump sum payment that takes care of your medical expenses, and possibly more.
Well, the fact is a quick settlement from an at-fault driver’s insurer is rarely ever going to be the ‘windfall’ it purports to be. If an insurer makes a quick settlement offer immediately following an accident, it likely represents an effort to lessen the potential damages for which their client may ultimately be liable.
Insurers are in the business of risk management. A quick settlement offer merely serves to reduce the risk exposure for liability their client is now in. Following an accident as time advances, new, aggravated, and/or undiagnosed injuries may surface (i.e. soft tissue injuries), and other damages or losses may come to light (like employability or loss of enjoyment). The claimant will be responsible for these kinds of damages if they develop after a release is signed and the case is settled.
Delaying Treatment
Often after an accident the injured party wants nothing to do with medical treatment. Many people suffer injuries every day on the roadways and because they don’t feel pain in the moments following the collision, they refuse or delay medical treatment. That is one of the worst things an accident victim can do in the wake of an auto injury. The fact is insurers and juries often view a delay of medical treatment as a sign that the victim did not suffer serious injury.
Protecting your right to future compensation in the wake of an accident involves seeing a qualified physician immediately to fully examine and assess your possible injuries. It also protects the at-fault driver from unnecessary damages that come from further injury resulting from a worsening untreated condition.
Not Seeking an Experience Personal Injury Attorney
Going it alone after an accident and filing a personal injury claim without the counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney can be the most damaging mistake people often make. Without the counsel of a skilled injury lawyer, victims of car accidents often neglect possible damages they are entitled to and put their chances of recovery at risk lacking the expertise in litigation and negotiation that practiced personal injury attorneys have.
(How to Navigate a Personal Injury Claim Resulting from Aggressive Driving)
If you’re looking for an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer to help navigate your personal injury claim, we will fight assiduously for your right to the compensation you deserve. Call Bizzieri Law Offices at 773.881.9000. The case evaluation is free, and we never charge a fee unless we recover damages for you.