If you’ve found your way to our blog, then you’re probably trying to figure out what you can do to try to offset the losses that you’ve experienced from an unexpected car accident. Seeking out information is a good first step, as you’ll need to be informed if you want to maximize your chances of imposing liability and recovering the compensation that you need. But you’ll need to do more than just that.
For example, a lot of people who pursue a personal injury lawsuit end up making mistakes along the way that jeopardize their ability to recover what they need. You should educate yourself about these mistakes so that you know what to avoid as you proceed with your claim.
Mistakes to avoid in your personal injury case
There are a lot of mistakes that can be made in a personal injury case. Here are some of the most common and damaging ones that you’ll want to avoid:
- Not following through with treatment recommendations: Your personal injury claim isn’t just about imposing liability. Even if you can prove that another driver was responsible for your accident, you’ll also have to demonstrate the extent of your damages if you want to recover an appropriate amount of compensation. That’s going to be hard to do if you don’t follow your doctor’s recommendations, as you won’t be able to demonstrate that you need compensation for the treatment that you haven’t sought out.
- Making statements indicative of fault: Your recovery can be significantly reduced or even denied if you’re found to be partially or completely at fault for the accident in question. Therefore, you’ll want to avoid making statements that can be viewed as taking accountability for the accident, as the defense will most certainly use your words against you.
- Being active on social media: Social media is used to portray the best parts of our lives. Therefore, your social media posts might give the impression that you’re living a happy and healthy life when in reality you’re living with painful and debilitating injuries. Yet, if you post on social media, the defense is going to spin your words and your pictures to their advantage. Therefore, it’s better to just avoid social media altogether until your case resolves.
- Waiting too long: In Rhode Island, you only have three years to file your legal claim after suffering accident injuries. If you delay too long, then you’ll be denied the opportunity to seek the compensation that you need and deserve.
- Going it alone: Some accident victims think that they can save themselves some money by negotiating resolution on their own. But this is a risky endeavor, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the law. The defense might push you into an agreement that isn’t in your best interests, which, in the end, could cost you more than you would pay an attorney to represent you.
- Lying about your injuries: In some cases, victims think that they can embellish their injuries to increase the amount of compensation that they recover. But you shouldn’t do that. It’s dishonest and against the law. In addition, the judge and jury are likely going to see through those lies, which will then motivate them to award you less compensation than you otherwise might deserve.
Build the comprehensive case that you need
The outcome of your personal injury case can lay the foundation for your future. Therefore, you should do everything in your power to build a compelling case for the compensation that you’re due. A well thought out and aggressive personal injury case might be the vehicle to get you to where you want to go, but as you move forward, you’ll want to make sure you’re avoiding the mistakes mentioned above.