Protecting Your Rights After a Car Accident

Your primary right after a car accident is to receive full compensation for your injuries if someone else was to blame for the crash. This right is in conflict with the interests of the insurance company that must write the check. Therefore, they try to take advantage of their own power to compromise your legal rights. As an accident victim, you must take steps to protect your rights after an accident. 

Do Not Speak to the Insurance Company or Post Publicly About Your Accident

Before you even call a lawyer, you can work to protect your own rights by remaining quiet to the greatest extent possible. Immediately after your crash, the insurance company for the responsible driver will go to work to protect themselves from liability. They do not care that you are injured and anxious. All they care about is cutting their own bill.

The insurance company may try to speak with you about the accident. There is nothing that can be gained from this conversation. In fact, it is not a conversation. Rather, it is an attempt to get you on the record and trap you into making some kind of admission that would undercut your claim. Once you are on the record, the insurance company will try to use that to deny your claim. They may even use it against you at trial. 

You should also resist the urge to speak publicly about the accident. This includes posting anything on social media. You should assume that the insurance company has access to your posts, and they can also use that as proof against you when you make a claim. The less you say about the accident, the better off you are.

You Should Call a Lawyer Immediately to Act to Protect Your Legal Rights

It is hard to protect your legal rights on your own. You do not always know the traps and pitfalls that could derail your case. The insurance company has been playing this game since the beginning of cars, so you can assume that they do. In addition, you may not always be using the best judgment because of your injuries. 

The best thing that you can do to protect your rights after a car accident is to contact an experienced attorney. Once you have an attorney working for you, all communications will go through the attorney. They will keep you from speaking when you should not, and the lawyer will take over your claim.

Most everyone is not equipped to handle their own claim. They may fall into the traps set for them by the insurance company, or they are unaware of the key deadlines in their case. Settling or litigating a car accident claim takes specialized experience. Protecting your legal rights is an active process, and involves action when necessary. This is what a lawyer can do for you. 

Protecting Your Legal Rights by Fighting Against Insurance Company Overreach

In addition, the lawyer will work to keep the insurance company from taking advantage of you when settling your case. One of the most important tasks that the lawyer will do is value your claim. Without this knowledge, you may take whatever the insurance company offers you. They know the value of your claim, practically down to the dollar. The insurance company has adjusters and an entire staff that values claims all day long. They are trying to catch you unaware, so they can save money at your expense. 

Protecting your rights means advising you to say no to a settlement offer that does not pay you for all of your damages. You have the legal right to reject a low settlement offer, and there is nothing that even forces you to deal with the insurance company in the first place. You can always file a lawsuit if that is within your best interests. Your attorney will advise you what may work for you in your particular situation. 

See a Doctor and Get a Full Medical Diagnosis

Protecting your rights also involves getting the medical treatment necessary to diagnose your injuries. In order to receive compensation for your injuries, the insurance company or jury will need to see documentation of the extent of your injuries. They will not write any check unless they can see it clearly on paper. This includes payment for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. 

It is important to see the doctor right after your car accident. Even if you were treated at the scene, you would need a complete medical evaluation to learn the extent of your injuries. There is no downside to this. If there is anything wrong, the doctor will diagnose the condition and write it up in your medical records. 

The problem is when you wait too long to see a doctor after your accident. Then, you have given the insurance company another opening to potentially deny or reduce your claim. They will claim that your condition was made worse by delaying medical treatment, or that your injury happened some other way.

As you can see, the best way to protect your rights after an accident is to get legal and medical help as soon as you can. Otherwise, others who do not have your best interests in mind will move in quickly, and you will find yourself with less money or no money at all. 

Experienced New Orleans Car Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, the attorneys at Egenberg

 Trial Lawyers can help you. We will deal with the insurance company on your behalf as we fight for you to receive top dollar for your injuries. The first step is to call us for a free consultation, where we will learn about your case and advise you of your legal options. Call us today at (504) 229-5700  or contact us online to discuss your case. You owe us nothing unless we are able to help you recover financially for your injuries.