It’s amazing how many personal injury Boston clients contact us after speaking with an attorney for the first time many months after the occurrence of their accident.
In many instances, the damage to their case has already been done, and the defendant’s insurance company obtains the benefit.
The most common blunder made by personal injury victims is expecting justice. Even if the insurance company says something like “we accept responsibility,” it doesn’t ensure the victim will be treated fairly. In fact, without a Boston personal injury lawyer, most of the time, the exact reverse is true.
Common mistakes that personal injury victims make:
- Failure to record
If you’ve been in a car accident and sustained significant damage, photographs documenting the damage to your vehicle might be crucial evidence if your case goes to trial.
Frequently, the personal injury victim believes that the insurance company will “take photographs” of them and keep these.
Even your own insurance company, though, might be uncooperative in a variety of situations.
Don’t assume you’ll be able to see the photos taken by an insurance company.
Unless the adjuster believes the images would help their defense of the claim, the adjuster will not take photos designed to be instructive at trial.
When a car is totaled, we’ve seen adjusters take just images of places that are marginally damaged.
- Attempting to Tough-it-Out
While it is normally laudable for someone to try to stick it out, this is not the case in personal injury litigation.
Often, it takes weeks or even months for someone to realize that their ailment isn’t going away and seek medical help for the first time.
Regrettably, this delay in receiving medical assistance plays right into the hands of the insurance carrier. The adjuster then contends that the injury was not caused by accident or that it was not significant enough for the person to wait so long to seek treatment.
Furthermore, the personal injury victim has made it far more difficult for their treating physician to provide an opinion on the source of the injury.
- Expecting Justice
Adjusters are not compensated for treating the opposing claimant fairly. In truth, the majority of adjusters work for the corporation they represent. They believe that saving money on a claim makes them look good, so they strive to pay you as little as possible. The most common blunder made by personal injury victims is expecting fairness.
Even seasoned business people are surprised when a nice adjuster says they “accept responsibility.” When the conversation turns to money, though, the light bulb frequently goes off, signaling that “we need a personal injury lawyer in Boston to help us out.”
If you were injured in a car accident, consulting with a car accident lawyer is a good idea.
Whether or not a personal injury claimant hires an attorney from a personal injury firm, they should take advantage of a free consultation as soon as possible following the accident.
