What are Some Common Mistakes People Make After a Car Accident?
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Video Transcript:
People often jump to the conclusion that after an accident they need to spill everything that they know and just say anything without thought. Unfortunately, because the law pays so so much attention to every word, even though the intent of some of those words may not be what a person truly believes they’re saying, it could be used against you. So, when considering those points, oftentimes people speak to their own insurance carriers and try to tell them the story, but you’re in a state of trauma. You’re in a state of, worry and and panic. And sometimes the message you convey can be misconstrued or misinterpreted. Oftentimes misinterpreted purposely to be used against you, even though they’re your insurance carriers. So with that being said, I would seek counsel before running to the phone and calling your insurance carrier because technically speaking, the only person who’s really your friend is your attorney. They can help guide you, calm you down, make sure you convey the proper story, how it took place, and be conscious of the words that you used so nothing can be misconstrued or misrepresented in your case later in time. I wanna add one other pitfall that clients have is not seeking treatment right away. Some people think, oh, it’s going to get better, oh, it doesn’t hurt that bad, and it gets worse and worse and worse. By the time they go to seek treatment, you’re, you know, many days or weeks or months after an accident. And, in the eyes of the insurance and possibly in the eyes of a jury, they think, well, how badly was this person hurt? They didn’t seek treatment for x amount of time. So, if you’re hurt, if you’re in an accident, go and seek the treatment that you need and don’t delay or procrastinate on it. And again, remember, when you are doing that, everything’s being documented. I know it’s very hard for people to conceptualize how could somebody use my hospital record against me or, you know, the notes that they take. Oftentimes, believe it or not, the hospital gets it wrong. They say the wrong shoulder. They might say the wrong body part. They may say you tripped and fell when you actually slipped and fell. All these things matter because the defendants jump on it and say, oh, what happened now? They said the wrong story here, and they try to make you look out to be some kind of liar when you’re not. You’re actually trying to tell the truth and maybe a third party got it wrong. So just be careful with your verbiage. Be careful with the conversation you have. Be very thorough in in the way you think about delivering your message to your audience, and be aware that anything you say is being documented. It’s very important.