NOT GETTING A MEDICAL EXAM

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Seeking medical treatment after an auto accident is crucial. Seeing a doctor or healthcare provider helps preserve your right to make a claim. Your doctor needs to document all injuries that you sustained so you will have proof that the injuries resulted from the car or motor vehicle accident.

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ADMITTING BLAME OR FAULT

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The person who is at fault for causing a car accident could be held responsible for paying for damages that result from the crash. You do not want to tell police or others that you were at fault, even if you believe you did something wrong. There are many factors involved in causing a crash, and all of the evidence may not be apparent to you in the stressful aftermath of the accident. Instead of speculating about fault, provide simple, factual answers to the questions the police ask.

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NOT CALLING POLICE OR NOTIFYING INSURANCE COMPANY

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After a car accident, you should make two phone calls as soon as possible. The first call should be to the police and the second call should be to your insurance company. You need to call the police so they can investigate the accident and write a report about what occurred in the crash. This report can be very valuable in case there is a dispute about how the accident happened.

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You need to call your insurance company for several reasons. First and foremost, you want to ensure you do not do anything to jeopardize the coverage provided by your insurer. This can be very important even if the other driver is to blame because the other driver might have insufficient insurance or no insurance at all. Your insurer could potentially pay out in such cases through uninsured or under-insured motorist coverage.

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Trusting the insurance company

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Many people trust their insurance company after a car accident, and some even trust the insurance company for the driver who was to blame for the crash. This is a BIG mistake. While you purchase an insurance policy to protect you from loss, the goal of the insurance company isn’t to protect you. Instead, they want to pay out the absolute minimum they can – or even pay nothing at all – to protect their bottom line.  Insurance companies will try many different tactics in order to pay as little, even when it is clear that an accident claim should be covered.  If you trust the insurance companies, you could end up getting much less compensation than you deserve for your car accident losses.

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GIVING TOO MUCH INFO TO THE OTHER DRIVER'S INSURANCE COMPANY

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The other driver’s insurance company may try to find inconsistencies in your story or try to trip you up when asking you about injuries in order to suggest that you are exaggerating your losses.   NEVER agree to provide a recorded or written statement to any insurance company without the advice of a lawyer. The best way to deal with insurance companies is to have a lawyer help you with all interactions. With an attorney, you can be sure you have someone looking out for you.

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SETTLING THE CLAIM BEFORE YOU KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF YOUR INJURIES

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When you contact a car accident attorney to settle your claim, you need to sign a release of liability in exchange for receiving an agreed-upon amount of compensation. Once you sign a release of liability, you are barred from making any additional claims based on the accident. It doesn’t matter if your injuries turn out to be more severe than you thought – you have already given up your rights to pursue additional compensation by signing a release. You should always be sure that you have a clear understanding of all medical problems resulting from the crash before you settle.

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NOT CONTACTING AN ATTORNEY

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Car accident claims are complex.  You need to have an experienced advocate who understands the law and who can advise you on how best to proceed with your car accident claim. Your attorney can be an advocate who takes on the insurance company on your behalf. Insurance companies have lawyers and experts representing their interests, and you deserve to have an attorney to stand up for you.

 

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Maximizing Your Recovery

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If you were injured in a car accident in Oklahoma you may be entitled to recover compensation for the injuries and damages caused by the accident. This may include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages represent property damage, out-of-pocket expenses such as medical bills and lost wages, while non-economic damages are intended to compensate a victim for the pain and suffering caused by the accident.

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Contrary to what many people believe, there is no “magic formula” for determining the amount of compensation a victim is entitled to in a car accident case. There are, however, numerous factors that can affect a victim’s recovery. Keith & Associates Legal, PLLC understands how each of these factors work together to maximize a victim’s recovery.