If you’ve been injured in a car accident while driving, riding as a passenger, biking or walking, you may have significant medical expenses and be off work for a while. It’s perfectly normal to expect the culpable party to pay for you losses — but you can end up sabotaging your own claim if you aren’t careful.
Here are some of the top ways that people end up hurting their own cases:
1. Negotiating alone
Talking to the insurance company on your own is dangerous. The insurance company’s adjustor is just waiting for you to say anything that can cast doubt on their driver’s liability or the extent of your injuries.
Naturally, you never want to exaggerate the extent of your injuries — but even a simple mistake as you recount what happened could cause the insurance company to react as if you’re fabricating the whole thing.
2. Oversharing
Humans are social creatures and we live in an age where oversharing on social media is common.
You can absolutely count on the fact that the insurance company will scour social media for any evidence that you’re not really as injured as you claim. It doesn’t take much to sink your case, either. That picture of you celebrating your birthday with a big smile on your face? You may have been hiding your pain, but the insurance company could claim it is proof that your injuries aren’t that traumatic after all.
3. Delaying
If you take too long to file your claim, you could lose your right to file forever. At four years, the statute of limitations on personal injuries in Florida is fairly long compared to other states — but that doesn’t mean you should wait that long. Memories tend to fade over time, and that could prove problematic to your case if you have to go to trial.
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, don’t take chances on the outcome of your case. Find out more about how an attorney can help.