You are famous for your organizational skills. Your tax refund is already in your bank account while most of the people around you are scrambling to file for an extension on their taxes. You are never late for an oil change or a dental cleaning. Meanwhile, you manage to do all of this while working full-time and raising children. The endless administrative tasks associated with getting compensation for your medical bills and vehicle repairs after a car accident are a match for even the most organized people. Even if you usually take the attitude that delegating tasks is less efficient than continuing to run your one-person show the way you are used to doing, you have a better chance of getting more money, and therefore taking less of a financial hit, if you leave it to the experts to decide what to say and do after a car accident. You are already a parent, and employee, and your own personal assistant. You can let a Louisiana car accident lawyer be your attorney!
The Importance of Getting a Report From the Emergency Room After an Accident
Even if you are used to “just getting through it” or “pushing past it” with your aches and pains, you should seek medical treatment after a car accident. It doesn’t matter if you go to the emergency room, urgent care or even get in to see your family doctor. The purpose of this visit is not to get treatment that you do not really need, but rather so that your medical records will reflect the truth about the accident and the initial areas injuries that resulted from it. Insurance companies might not believe you that your injuries occurred the way they did, but having a report from a medical facility, with a doctor’s description of your injuries will make it much harder for them to refute your claims.
More importantly, several serious injuries related to car accidents do not show symptoms immediately. Concussion and soft-tissue injuries can lead to chronic pain. If you get examined shortly after the accident, the doctor can advise you on how to stop your symptoms from getting worse. You can also avoid having to fight with the insurance company about whether the symptoms are accident-related.
Beware of Giving a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Company
Giving recorded statements to the insurance company seems like a routine procedure after a car accident, but it is probably going to hurt your claim. The insurance claims adjusters are trained to ask questions. They likely have a companywide list or electronics prompts telling them what to ask, and it is all designed at trying to catch you on record giving an inconsistent account of the events. When the claims adjusters are making you feel relaxed and “in good hands,” they are trying to get you to open up about pre-existing medical conditions or something that they can use to put some fault on to you. Do not take the bait if a claims adjuster says that his kids are in college and their back just hasn’t been the same since moving one of the children into the dorms. A light-hearted remark about your old bones could be an insurance company’s excuse to pay you less for your claim. Instead, you should let your car accident lawyer talk to the insurance company for you.
Contact Locke Meredith, Sean Fagan & Associates About Car Accident Cases
A car accident lawyer can help you avoid undermining your case by speaking too freely with the insurance company. Contact Locke Meredith, Sean Fagan & Associates Injury Attorneys in Louisiana, to discuss your case.