Mistakes to Avoid After a Baltimore Car Accident

After a car accident, it can be very easy to say or do something that might then be used against you as evidence in a court of law. This is why it is incredibly important to ensure you understand the proper procedure for after an accident. If you are at all uncertain, contact an experienced Baltimore car accident attorney for information and advice on next steps.

Apologizing or Feeling Guilty

Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid after a car accident are feeling guilty about the fact that you are involved in a car accident or feeling embarrassed to seek medical attention. Oftentimes, people have a tendency to simply say that they were sorry the accident happened, however, people who are involved in a Baltimore car accident claim should understand that these statements can be, and often are, used against them later on. If a person is involved in a car accident and they do not believe they are at fault, they should not say they are sorry or give any information that indicates they are responsible for the accident.

Why Admitting Fault at the Scene is Something to Avoid

People should avoid doing this because the statement can be used against them later on down the road. Ultimately, a determination has to be made as to who is at fault for the accident. The injured person cannot be negligent in any way if they want to receive compensation. If the injured person says they are sorry at the accident scene, then much later on down the road this statement may be used against them as evidence of contributory negligence.

It is important for people to understand that they should not make this statement at all at the accident scene and they should curtail their discussions with the other person to simply exchanging contact information and insurance information.

Refusing Medical Treatment After a Baltimore Car Accident

Sometimes people refuse medical treatment because they may not fully understand what has just happened to them. Other times, people may refuse medical treatment because they may think that they are burdening an emergency responder with their claim which they may not think is all that bad. However, it is important for people to understand that they may be injured in ways that cannot be seen with the naked eye and that it is important for them to be evaluated by a medical professional in order to rule out any other injuries that they may not see.

When a person refuses medical treatment, they are prolonging their recovery and they are also jeopardizing their ability to recover damages for their injuries because there may be a question as to whether or not the motor vehicle accident actually caused their injuries.

Failing to Follow Through With Medical Advice

An injured person should follow their doctor’s orders so that the injured person can recover from their injuries. When a person is injured in a car accident and that injured person presents a claim, the at-fault party’s insurance company will evaluate that claim by reviewing their medical records. If the injured person is refusing medical treatment or does not follow doctor’s orders, then the insurance company will likely not appreciate the injured party’s claim because the injured person is refusing treatment.

The insurance company will determine that the injured person was not injured in the accident and therefore they may not adequately compensate the injured person for their claim. This can result in the requirement to go to trial. If the case proceeds to trial, the injured person will have to explain to the jury why this gap in treatment exists and the reason for it.

A lot of people will empathize with others who have jobs and do not want to miss time from work, but oftentimes, juries will be very critical of a person who misses time from work and thinks that if a person is truly hurt and injured in a Baltimore car accident, then it would justify missing time from work to attend the doctor’s visit. This is a very important issue for people to consider when they are injured in a car accident and they intend to present a claim later on.

Giving a Recorded Statement to Insurance

Usually, a recorded statement is not required of the injured person, and it is merely done as a courtesy so that the other insurance company can evaluate the claim for settlement purposes. It is not necessarily a mistake to provide a recorded statement, but the injured person should only do so after they have retained an attorney who can advise them on specific facts of their case and provide them with the necessary information to determine whether or not it is in their best interest to do so.

Avoid Cashing Checks from an Insurance Company

Cashing a check issued by an insurance company is always a mistake because it may prevent you from recovering additional money in that claim. For example, no two claims are handled the same and claims are a lot more complicated than people think. When a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident, they have to deal with their own automobile insurance company, their own health insurance company and the at-fault party’s insurance company.

There are many different aspects of a claim when it is initiated. A personal injury protection claim is a no-fault claim which provides for medical expenses or lost time from work on a no-fault basis. There is also a property damage claim that deals with compensation for the repair or loss of motor vehicle. Additionally, there is a bodily injury portion of the claim.

In this case, there are three separate insurance companies who have three separate departments handling each claim. If a person accepts and cashes a personal injury check that they believe is a PIP check, then they have likely foreclosed their claim for additional compensation for personal injuries. It is important for a person to retain an attorney to evaluate and handle these issues on behalf of the client so that any mistakes can be avoided.

Failure to Contact an Attorney

When a person retains an experienced attorney, that car accident lawyer is able to advise the injured person on what they should expect throughout the claim process and help them through the claim process to avoid any mistakes. Likewise, when a person retains an accident attorney, the attorney can investigate the claim and advise the client as to who is likely to be deemed at fault in the accident and also advise them of any contributory negligence defenses that may be raised.