Accidents and unfortunate incidents happen frequently, but that does not take away the pain and stress you feel when you or your loved one is the subject. If your accident resulted from the negligence of another party, you are entitled to reimbursement for damages through a personal injury claim. The majority of personal injury cases are closed with settlements before trial.
Your personal injury lawyer in Cedar Rapids will negotiate and ensure you receive the best settlement by talking to the defendant’s insurance company and attorney. If they refuse to settle, your case might go to trial. There are mistakes people often commit in these cases. We will discuss some of them in this article.
Mistakes people make in personal injury cases
There are several common mistakes committed by people while pursuing a personal injury claim, such as:
1. They fail to seek medical attention right after an accident.
Although this seems like the obvious step to follow in a catastrophic situation, there are far too many people who choose not to get medical attention immediately after an accident. Reasons could be not wanting to miss work, feeling embarrassed because of onlookers, or thinking they are okay because of minor injuries. But not seeking immediate medical attention after an accident could prove to be a grave mistake for people involved in accidents.
Many people fail to realize that in situations like this, our bodies are filled with an adrenaline rush, which results in an inability to feel pain or symptoms to their full extent. These symptoms could start to show and cause problems later, so it is of significant importance that you go to the doctor right away after you’ve been in an accident.
2. They fail to follow the doctor’s instructions.
Doctors prescribe a course of medication and add instructions to follow along with the medicines for a reason. It is essential to follow their instructions to ensure you get proper treatment and healing. If you fail to follow instructions, your symptoms and pain could reoccur or not heal completely, making them even worse. The defendant’s insurance company will likely use this against you and claim your injuries happened for another reason.
3. They fail to be completely honest about their injuries or accidents.
Discussing the accident and your injuries with the doctor with complete honesty is crucial, as it plays a massive role in your legal case. You cannot give the defendant’s insurer any chance to use something that happened on your part against you in court. So, you must be entirely honest about your injuries to your doctor.