If you’ve recently been in a car accident that you weren’t at fault for, you’re likely looking for a way to seek compensation for your losses. Regardless of whether you’re looking for compensation for lost earnings, medical expenses, or emotional and mental anguish, you need to be confident that you’ll be able to get fair compensation for accident losses and won’t be cheated out of what is rightfully yours.
Many people are afraid of just this happening – that, if they take the other party to court, the ruling will be against them, and they’ll be out both the losses they suffered as a result of the accident and the time and money they spent on a court case. Due to this, they often decide not to seek compensation at all.
However, this is never the right option – if you’ve been injured due to no fault of your own, you have a legal and moral right to compensation. Here are a few ways to increase your chances of being able to get fair compensation post an accident.
Hire a Lawyer
While it may seem like hiring a lawyer is an additional cost you cannot afford, it will pay off in the long run. Lawyers are well-versed in the law and will be able to determine what you’re fairly owed as compensation. Additionally, they’ll be able to negotiate with the other party first so that you don’t have to file a lawsuit unless absolutely necessary.
If you’re worried about the upfront cost, look for a lawyer that will agree to a contingency fee. This is essentially an agreement where the lawyer agrees to take a percentage of the damages you receive if you win your case. If you lose, they will get nothing, so you won’t have to worry about being out of even more money. Visit https://trulaw.com/ for an instant case evaluation.
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Don’t Accept Liability
If you’re not at fault for an accident, don’t say anything that could be manipulated to seem as though you’ve accepted responsibility for what happened. Even something as simple as “I’m sorry” can be used as evidence to turn a lawsuit around and place the blame on your shoulders.
Even if accepting fault does not result in you being blamed, it may be used as a way to reduce your compensation. You should be careful; the team at Brooks Law Group notes that determining who is at fault in specific accidents can be a complex process. In tailgating accidents, for example, the lines between victim and perpetrator can be blurry; be sure to record everything in the scene and contact a specialized lawyer straight away. By letting lawyers decide and argue this out for you, you increase the chances of being compensated fairly.
Document the Scene
If a case becomes a lawsuit, you may be called upon to give evidence. There’s only one challenge – even the strongest memories can fail over time. The opposing party may be able to claim that you are misremembering events or claiming the accident was worse than it actually was.
Documenting the scene reduces the risk of such a defense being possible. Taking photographs of the scene and of documents like license plates and the police report can serve as supporting evidence for your case. After all, it will be difficult for someone to claim that their car was not involved if you have a photograph that proves otherwise!
Aside from documenting evidence, see if you can get the contact information of eyewitnesses to the accident. If you can get other people to support your side of the story, your claims are strengthened, making it difficult for the other person to claim that they were not involved or were not at fault.
Visit the Doctor
Regardless of what you feel your injury situation is like, visit a doctor immediately after you’ve been in an accident. There are a few reasons to do so.
The first is for your health. You may think you got out unscathed, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t suffer invisible injuries. Head injuries like concussions and other issues like whiplash are invisible but are still serious medical issues that can cause major problems if not addressed immediately.
Additionally, your actions after your accident will be scrutinized. If you do not visit a doctor, the other party may claim that you were not injured and do not need to be compensated. If you wait too long to visit the doctor, they may try to claim your injuries were a result of another incident between getting in the accident and going to the doctor.
Even if you are not physically injured, consider consulting a therapist as well, if possible. Accidents can often be mentally traumatic due to the extreme fear you feel in the situation, and it’s essential to speak to a professional and seek help if necessary.
Avoid Posting on Social Media
You may be tempted to post details about your accident on social media. However, the other party can use this to claim that your injuries were not as serious as you claimed. Additionally, by not talking about your accident on social media, you don’t have to worry about accidentally saying something that may be interpreted as admitting fault for the accident. However, not talking doesn’t just mean not posting on social media.
You should also avoid talking to insurance adjusters until you have consulted a lawyer, especially if they approach you while you’re still in the hospital. At this point, you may not have all the information you need – both about your injuries and the case as a whole – and an inaccurate or uninformed statement can harm your case in the long run. The adjuster may try to frighten you into saying something – however, refuse to answer without an attorney’s advice. If the adjuster insists, ask the hospital staff to take them out of the vicinity.
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While the moments after getting in an accident are always terrifying, the days, weeks, and months that come after can often be just as bad, especially if you’re facing financial issues as a direct result of it. On the other hand, while being awarded the fair compensation for accident losses you deserve is never a guarantee, it is possible to improve your chances of it happening. In this regard, hiring a lawyer who’ll be able to advise you is a critical part of it.
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