Every year, tens of millions of personal injury cases requiring medical treatment occur in the United States.
Unfortunately, people can suffer severe injuries that leave them sidelined. Some are involved in car accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, and dog-bite situations. The World Health Organization notes that around 4.5 million people are bitten by canines annually. Many more kinds of personal injuries adversely impact millions of people every year.
You should contact a personal injury lawyer if you are injured in an accident. This professional will let you know if there are sufficient grounds to pursue a claim and will help you if a case is warranted.
But here’s the thing: No matter how experienced your personal injury lawyer is, they may be unable to get you the results you want if you make any of the following five mistakes.
- Failing to See a Lawyer on Time
After an accident, you shouldn’t wait too long before calling a personal injury lawyer. Some people stubbornly move forward like everything is okay when the reality is they’re dealing with injuries that compromise their quality of life. But waiting too long could leave you without any way to obtain compensation for injuries sustained.
A personal injury lawyer can help you get compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, medical treatment, and ongoing medical care. If you drag your feet too long, you’ll have to seek help out of pocket. Going that route can be cost-prohibitive as the expenses mount.
- Failing to Go to a Doctor
Seeing a doctor after suffering an injury is also essential. A doctor will give you a thorough check-up, conduct exams, refer you to specialists, and help you get back on your feet. But if you don’t see your doctor or attend regular follow-up appointments, that’s an error.
Proving your case means providing irrefutable evidence. If you don’t go to the doctor as required, the insurance company can rightly question the extent of your injuries. On the one hand, there’ll be no documentation of the precise injuries and the extent of your suffering. On the other hand, the fact you didn’t see a doctor can be interpreted as a sign you’re not injured. That’s a misstep that even the best and brightest lawyer will have trouble overcoming.
- Failing to Go for Prescribed Treatments
If your doctor recommends you go for physiotherapy or see a counselor, think twice before refusing. Remember that insurance companies aren’t in the business of simply handing over money. They can argue that you would have availed yourself of the help recommended had your injuries been severe. So, failing to listen to your doctor can come back to hurt you — and make your personal injury lawyer’s job harder.
- Ignoring Your Lawyer Advice
Yet another mistake that can make things difficult, if not impossible, for your lawyer is to ignore your lawyer’s counsel. When a legal professional advises you, it’s in your best interests to listen. Otherwise, you could hurt your case and reduce your odds of success.
- Exaggerating Your Injuries
Another no-no is exaggerating your injuries. Nothing good will come from being dishonest about the extent of your injuries. That’s one reason to see your doctor and go for follow-ups. By so doing, you can verify not only the injuries but also their extent. If you bend the truth, you could be found guilty of fraud. Avoid these problems by being honest and letting your lawyer do their job.
When you hire a personal injury lawyer to pursue a claim, don’t make their job harder than it should be. Remember these five points — things to avoid. You don’t want to lose on account of avoidable mistakes.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
