Our parents taught us there was a right way and a wrong way to do things. This is especially true when it comes to receiving the money due you for an accident claim that was not your fault. There are many things you can do wrong that will minimize the value of your case. Don’t make any of the poor decisions discussed herein.
Don’t assume after an accident that you are ok and accept $500 for your inconvenience. It often takes a few days to get stiff and sore…and have problems
When nothing is broken we all assume we are ok. Thus we often don’t gather the info that you and your lawyer will need if you decide to pursue a claim. I teach my clients “People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan”.
Thus you should always be prepared for a possible problem and when in an accident get a medical and auto checkup. Likewise you should prepare for the worst and use your cell to gather all the info on the other drivers and wits. Then call the police to make a report, even when no injuries.
When I was in an accident I initially thought I was ok. Then slowly but surely pains surfaced. Initially I thought it was just my neck. Then one day when I bent down to pick up a pen I had dropped, I realized I had a side pain. Now, I advise clients to touch their body from head to toes, to be sure there are no pains.
Don’t talk to the insurance company adjusters, thinking they are friendly and on your side. They are NEVER on your side. They get paid by the insurance company to minimize the payments to you. You are Not in Good Hands nor did you get a Piece of the Rock. Likewise don’t make the mistake of announcing on Facebook you are ok and listing all the sports you’re playing. The insurance company looks at your social media to see what you have done since the accident. They assume if you were well enough to play tennis or golf that you were not hurt.
It’s not always what you say, but what the insurance adjuster thought they heard you say. If your lawyer said it, s/he can always say they must have misunderstood their client.
Don’t delay seeking medical treatment…either because you procrastinated or didn’t have the money for a medical checkup. Most accident lawyers can get you medical treatment on a lien. With a lien the doctor waits until the case settles to get paid.
When you go to the hospital don’t give them your Medicare info. Once Medicare gets involved it takes forever to get them to share, let alone release, their lien for repayment from the settlement. Let your lawyer assist you in getting medical treatment and dealing with the med providers for payment. Accident lawyers know which docs know how to write a correct med/legal report.
Don’t delay contacting a lawyer. Once a lawyer is involved, the insurance company can’t contact you. In addition the lawyer does everything and takes all the pressure off your shoulders and guides you to do the right things.
You don’t want to go to your next door neighbor’s body shop and get the car repaired for $800 cash instead of $3800. When there is less damage the insurance company, AND JURIES, assumes that means it was a minor accident. They then allocate less money for your compensation.
ARTICLE IDEAS? DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/dale@dalegribowlaw.com.
DALE GRIBOW
REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED
“TOP LAWYER” – California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-20
“TOP LAWYER” – Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019
PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating
“DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER. THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”. SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER.
