Common Mistakes That Hurt Injury Claims

When you’re hurt in an accident, you are left to deal with the physical pain, emotional stress, and mounting costs. While focusing on your recovery is paramount, you also need to be mindful that the actions you take following an accident can dramatically impact the compensation you deserve. Many people make mistakes in the process. Insurance companies focus on these mistakes to minimize your payment or even deny your claim. At Morris Haynes, we help people avoid common mistakes that hurt injury claims so they can best safeguard their financial future.

Top Five Mistakes That Hurt Injury Claims

If you or a loved one has recently been hurt in an accident, avoiding these mistakes can benefit your case as you seek compensation for your injury:

Waiting Too Long to Get Medical Care

One of the most common mistakes people make when they are injured is not seeking immediate medical attention. Some people don’t think their injuries warrant a trip to the doctor or assume they’ll feel better quickly. However, many serious injuries, such as whiplash, internal bleeding, or soft tissue damage, do not show symptoms right away.

If you wait to see a doctor, it can lead insurance adjusters to think that your injuries were not severe enough or that they were not even due to the accident. Seeking medical care within 72 hours of the accident establishes a clear, undeniable link between the accident and your physical injuries.

Giving Recorded Statements Without Advice

Shortly after your accident, an insurance adjuster representing the at-fault party may call you to ask for a recorded statement about what happened. As Alabama’s billion-dollar law firm, the team at Morris Haynes advises its clients not to fall into this trap. While they may try to sound empathetic to your needs and promise to settle your claims quickly, this is a tactic to find evidence to use against you.

You are under no legal obligation to provide a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company without legal counsel. Whether you’ve been in a car accident, trucking accident, or have sustained an injury in another way, always consult your personal injury lawyer before discussing details of the event on the record.

Posting on Social Media

These days, everyone shares tidbits about their lives on social media. But, when you have an active personal injury claim, social media activity can hurt you. Insurance investigators routinely monitor a claimant’s public profiles looking for any content they can use against their case.

While you may post that you are “doing fine” after an accident, and post a picture of being out to dinner with family, an insurance adjuster may see this and use it to prove that your injuries do not warrant compensation. The best advice is not to post anything about your accident, injuries, or daily activities until your case is fully resolved.

Accepting Early Settlement Offers

When medical bills start pouring in, and you are missing days of work due to your injury, a quick financial payout can be tempting. Insurance companies know this, which is why they often extend lowball settlement offers very early in the claim process.

Accepting an early offer is often a common mistake that harms injury claims. People do not know the true, long-term cost of their injuries at the beginning of a case. You may require ongoing physical therapy, future surgeries, or permanent accommodations. Once you sign a settlement release agreement, you forfeit your right to seek any additional compensation, even if your medical condition unexpectedly worsens later on. The team at Morris Haynes Attorney at Law understands this and works with clients to delay acceptance of any early settlement offers.

Failing to Hire an Attorney

Attempting to negotiate a personal injury claim on your own is not a good idea. These cases can be complex and require working with insurance companies and meeting strict evidence requirements. You do not want to go down this road alone. 

An experienced personal injury attorney understands how insurance companies operate and knows how to calculate the true value of your damages, including pain and suffering. Your attorney will handle all communications, gather the necessary evidence, and fight for your rights.

Do You Need Help with an Injury Claim? Contact Us Today

Morris Haynes Attorneys at Law has the experience you need when faced with an injury claim. We have negotiated multi-million-dollar settlements for our clients, including settlements involving an $8.5 million commercial truck accident and a $7 million tractor-trailer accident.

If you need representation, contact us today. Call us at 205-324-4008 or reach out to us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

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