There are five mistakes I see people commonly make that make their car wreck case an uphill battle. Staying clear of these common mistakes will go along way towards ensuring that you receive maximum compensation for your pain, suffering, and other damages sustained as a result of a wreck.

Mistake 1: Leaving the Scene of the Wreck Without Making an Accident Report

Do not leave the scene of the wreck without calling law enforcement and making an accident report. The reporting officer will come to the scene of the wreck, obtain each parties insurance information, investigate the incident, and make a finding of who was at fault of the wreck. If you leave the scene of the wreck without reporting the incident to law enforcement, the at-fault driver may change their story later, and the insurance company may not accept liability for their driver’s negligent actions.

Mistake 2: Not Seeking Medical Attention

You should seek medical attention immediately after you realize you were injured in a wreck. The sooner you seek medical attention, the better. If you don’t, the insurance company may attempt to use the time gap in treatment as evidence that you weren’t injured. They may also try to use the gap in treatment as evidence that you were hurt doing something else in the days following the wreck. It’s very common for you to feel soreness and other pain in the coming days following a wreck. Do not take the pain that you feel lightly as it could later be determined to be a serious injury.

Mistake 3: Giving a Recorded Statement Without Speaking With a Lawyer

You shouldn’t give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company without first speaking with a lawyer. Insurance representatives are trained to ask you questions to elicit answers that will later be used against you. The only time you should ever give a recorded statement is if you have already spoken with an experienced personal injury lawyer and they are present with you while you’re giving the recorded statement.

Mistake 4: Missing Medical Appointments

You should always make your follow up medical appointments with your physicians that are treating your injuries sustained in the wreck. Your doctors make notes if you are a no call no show for your appointments and the insurance company will try use missed appointments as evidence that your injuries were not that severe or that you weren’t injured. If you can’t make a medical appointment for some reason, you should call your Doctor’s office immediately to let them know so they can make arrangements to reschedule your appointment.

Mistake 5: Trying to Take on the Insurance Company by Yourself

Above all else, the biggest mistake I see people injured in a car wreck make is trying to take on the insurance company by themselves. Even if you make mistakes 1 – 4, an experienced personal injury lawyer can work around your errors to make a presentable case to the insurance company and/or a jury. You should focus on recovering from your injuries, not fighting the insurance company. If you or a loved one was injured as the result of the negligent or intentional conduct of someone else, contact me. I fight to ensure that all of my clients’ damages are accounted for in every settlement to ensure that they receive maximum compensation.