When you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s natural to feel distraught and devastated over your losses. You may be suffering from physical injuries, damaged property and missed opportunities at work or home. These losses can quickly add up, so it’s important to reach an insurance settlement that matches the level of losses you’ve suffered. Following are three essential things car accident victims need to do to increase their compensation award.
Seek Prompt and Efficient Medical Care
The best thing you can do for both your health and your personal injury case is to seek out prompt and efficient medical care at a proper facility. This act not only shows the judge and jury that you did everything you could to care for your injuries and prevent additional damage, but it also provides clear documentation and proof of any injuries you sustained. Medical experts know to look for signs and symptoms of delayed injuries from car accidents, and they can also perform various tests to reveal any conditions that aren’t immediately apparent. Putting off medical treatment and waiting to be treated is one of the worst things you could do. You may exacerbate your injuries, and this could be seen as a reason to dismiss your entire personal injury claim.
Prove your Losses
Proving your losses is one of the most valuable and important pieces of your personal injury claim puzzle. If you don’t have proof of the injuries you’ve sustained or losses you’ve endured, then it’s unlikely you will be able to receive compensation in court. Victims need to begin proving and documenting the accident immediately after it occurs. Most often, a call to the police should be your first action. Police will arrive with emergency medical personnel to treat your injuries, and they will document the accident in a police report. They may also begin an initial investigation into the causes of the accident. Victims need to preserve any medical bills, orders for prescription medication and repair bills. They should also prepare a statement from their employer explaining their average income and missed days from work. This documentation will prove invaluable when proving your losses in court.
Do Not Settle for Less than you Deserve
The Insurance Information Institute researched insurance premium rates compared to the actual losses and expenses of accident victims from 2006 to 2015. The group found that driver’s average losses and expenses have been steadily increasing and now exceeds the average written premiums. This fact is important because it gives insurance companies an even greater incentive to encourage victims to settle for reduced compensation amounts. While reaching a settlement is not necessarily a bad thing, victims should never agree to settle for a compensation amount that is much lower than their overall losses. If an insurance company continues to pressure you into a lower amount than your claim is worth, then it may be time to seek out the help of an experienced attorney. Resolve your legal woes with Derrick Law Firm today.
Seeking prompt medical care, proving your losses and refusing to settle for less than your claim is worth are all crucial actions victims must take to protect their right to fair compensation for their injuries. Several factors will be working against car accident victims, so it’s important to take a proactive stance after a car accident injury.