Misconceptions and Mistakes in DC Car Accident Cases

If you have been involved in a car accident in DC, here are the biggest mistakes you should avoid. For assistance filing a claim, consult with a DC car accident lawyer today to discuss your case.

What Are The Biggest Mistakes To Avoid After A Car Accident Case?

The first mistake people make is moving the vehicles without it being documented by either pictures and/or police on the scene. The next most common is making contact with the at-fault insurance company and making a recorded statement. Many people will think they’re being cooperative and that’s how things should proceed, and that is a big mistake because the insurance company is not looking out for them, they’re looking to find out information that can be helpful to them and to their insured. And there is absolutely no obligation or requirement that they speak to the insurance company or give a recorded statement.

Another mistake that people can make is not getting treatment right away thinking they can tough it out.  They’re having symptoms, they are experiencing problems and they think either it will go away or they can tough it out. And that can be problematic because they don’t have any medical professional document their complaints.  Time goes by and then there’s a gap before treatment, and that can be a problem that the insurance company will seize upon by saying, “you must not have been hurt if you didn’t go to the hospital or didn’t go see a doctor right away.”  Then, if too much time goes by before seeking medical care, they challenge causation of injuries.

So, basically talking to the at fault insurance company, making a recorded statement, trying to resolve the claim themselves, accepting an early settlement before they know the outcome of their injuries, and not getting treatment right away are some of the mistakes that people can make.

Why Do You Think People Make These Mistakes?

Most of the time it’s inexperience with having been in an accident and having the sense that it should be a simple matter and the at-fault insurance company is going to automatically accept responsibility and do what’s right and pay their claim.  Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case, and people learn the hard way that after dealing with the insurance company and being cooperative by giving all the information, in reality the insurance company is not going to do the right thing because they’re looking out for their insured’s interest.

So they learn the hard way that they should have consulted an attorney to represent their interests because the insurance companies have their lawyers protecting their insured’s interests right away.  Those who have learned the hard way, if they have an opportunity again, the first thing they do is call a lawyer to protect their interests.

What Are The Top Three Biggest Misconceptions About DC Car Accidents Cases?

Well, many people think that it’s just a simple matter, they can handle it on their own and that the insurance companies will do the right thing. They believe that it’s just a simple transaction of submitting their bills, and the insurance company will get the bills paid and give value for pain and suffering.

That is rarely the case, and people do not know how to navigate with the insurance companies. There are many facets of a case with many twists and turns.  You have to have three things in any case: you have to have liability, which is a duty that someone has breached, you have to have damages, and you have to have causation, meaning that the damages have to relate to the cause of the accident.

So, it’s not just a simple matter of the insurance companies’ willingness to resolve these claims. They investigate thoroughly, they take statements from everyone, and if there’s any question they will deny liability.  Even if they accept liability, they will challenge the injuries based on a number of different factors. So, the biggest misconceptions are that it will be a simple matter that the insurance company will handle it easily, that they will resolve things in their favor, and that it won’t have to go to court, and in many respects that just does not happen.