Five Costly Mistakes People Make Following a Car Accident

 Posted on October 10, 2017 in Personal Injury

Car accidents can be devastating both financially and emotionally, but there are some things that people do that can make them even more so. At Clark Law Group, we help accident victims fight for the compensation they need to recover in comfort following a car crash. While we do everything we can to ensure that accident victims walk away with a fair settlement, there are some actions that victims take prior to meeting with us-or even afterwards-that sabotage their chances of winning. To prevent that from happening to you, our knowledgeable Dallas car accident lawyers want to share with you five crucial missteps to avoid after you are involved in a Dallas car accident.

#1: Failing to Seek Medical Care

Too many accident victims assume that their injuries 'are not that bad,' and so they fail to seek medical attention immediately after the accident. Unfortunately, without an accident medical report, it can be nearly impossible for you to recover compensation for any latent injuries. If you do try to claim injuries later on, the insurance company or judge might say that the injuries occurred sometime after the fact, such as when you hit the beach the following weekend, or when you decided to go rock-climbing the next month.

#2: Posting to Social Media

Speaking of hitting the beach and going rock climbing…

Social media has proven to be extremely detrimental to victims' cases as people share way too much information about their everyday lives online. Some victims may say to family and friends, 'Don't worry about me - I'm doing fine!' a statement which the insurance companies will use to mean that you really are fine and so must not need a settlement. Additionally, if you claim to have back pain because of the accident, have internal injuries, or suffer from chronic pain, but then you go and post a bunch of photos of your rock climbing trip, even the judge will begin to question your sincerity.

#3: Failing to Call the Police

The police report is just as important as the medical report, as the police report should indicate who was at fault for the accident. While police reports are not always accurate, they usually contain enough information for a judge and jury to surmise the cause of the accident.

#4: Waiting too Long to Act

In all states, there is a time period in which you must file a claim if you want it to be heard. If you do no take action within that time period, which is two years in the state of Texas, then you forfeit your rights to compensation entirely. However, you should really take action immediately, as the longer you take to do anything, the less likely you will be to obtain a successful outcome. Think about it: If you wait too long to get medical care, you are not able to document the full extent of your injuries. If you wait too long to investigate the cause of the accident, crucial pieces of evidence could disappear. If you wait too long to hire a lawyer, you may find it difficult to find one who will be willing to take on your case. If you want to ensure the greatest chance of success, you need to act now.

#5: You Admitted Fault

The very worst thing you can do following a car accident is admit fault. While this seems like a no-brainer, you would be surprised by how many people admitted fault in a roundabout way directly after an accident simply because they were disoriented and did not know how to properly explain what happened. These types of statements can be detrimental to any case, no matter how airtight one may seem.

Work With an Experienced Dallas Car Accident Lawyer

At Clark Law Group, our goal is to help car accident victims obtain the compensation they need to recover in financial comfort. While we do everything in our power to help you, there are certain steps you can take to help us help you-and certain things you should avoid doing. If you were recently in a car accident that left you injured, with extensive medical bills, and unable to work, heed the advice above and then contact our Dallas car accident attorneys. Call 469-906-2266 to schedule your consultation today.

(image courtesy of Dayne Topkin)