What are the Top Mistakes People Make After an Accident or Injury?
If you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or as a result of an accident such as an automobile accident or a slip and fall accident, it is important to understand what NOT to do if you are thinking about talking to a Syracuse personal injury lawyer about pursuing an personal injury claim.
There are a number of things you might do unwittingly that could seriously jeopardize your personal injury lawsuit resulting in your case being thrown out, or at the very least substantially reducing your monetary award for damages. You owe it to yourself to help not only yourself, but also your personal injury attorney and avoid the mistakes that most people make in the aftermath of their injury.
Failure to Promptly See Your Doctor
Whether you think your injuries and pain are not all that severe or not, visit your doctor right away. It is critical to establish a medical record that can be used in evidence should your symptoms worsen or should it turn out that you have severe underlying injuries. Many people skip this critical step because they don’t feel any pain, or they think their injuries were not at all severe. But pain and symptoms can manifest themselves weeks and months down the road. You not only need to be seen and treated for your injuries, but having evidence of a doctor’s medical examination and opinion vastly improves your chances for winning personal injury compensation in court.
Promptly Reporting a Workplace Injury to a Supervisor
This is vitally important in cases where you want to pursue a workers’ compensation claim for injuries sustained on the job. Failure to report your injury as soon as it occurs will result in your employer being less likely to believe you if you only report it several weeks after the injury occurred. By properly reporting the accident injury when it occurs, no matter how minor it may seem, creates a paper trail that can be submitted as evidence in a court proceeding. In New York State, employers must have a document report of your injury on file in order for workers’ compensation to be awarded.
Opening Your Mouth on Social Media is a No-No!
Insurance companies always investigate personal injury and accident claims in order to award as little money as possible. Remember, their goal is to make money, not help you. If you talk about your injury or legal efforts on any social media platform anywhere, there is a 200% chance that the insurance company involved in your case will see it and find a way to use it against you in court. Set all your social media accounts to private only, and avoid talking about your vacation to Darien Lakes, Disney World, trips to the park, jogging with your dog, spending your Saturday at the mall, etc. – anything that would even remotely suggest that your injury claim is overblown or illegitimate.
Contact a Syracuse Personal Injury Attorney Right Away
Without a doubt, the biggest mistake people make in the aftermath of an injury is not consulting an experienced Syracuse personal injury lawyer immediately. The experienced personal injury attorneys at McMahon, Kublick, PC will work one-on-one with you to make sure that you are not coerced by insurance companies, insurance adjusters, or your employer into signing anything that will hurt your personal injury lawsuit or workers’ compensation claim. Call our Syracuse office at (315) 424-1105 or reach out online now to schedule a free, private consultation – either in-person or virtually from the privacy of your own home – today.
