Car accidents are surprisingly common, but that doesn’t change the consequences of an injury. Even if you think your injuries are manageable now, the true impact can unfold for months or years in the form of ongoing medical bills, lost income, physical therapy, and impaired mobility.
Maximizing your compensation right away is the best way to prevent your injury from becoming a financial setback.
Here’s what you need to do.
1. Prioritize medical care to protect yourself legally
Seeking immediate medical care is good for your health and legal strategy. Certain serious injuries like concussions, soft tissue damage, and internal bleeding don’t always show up right away. Delaying your treatment can compromise your health and safety, as well as weaken your insurance claim.
Attempting to recover financial compensation for a car accident injury requires proving your injury was caused by the accident. The insurance company will evaluate your claim based on your medical records and the severity of your injury. If you skipped treatment or waited too long, that can undermine your case. Insurance adjusters are trained to reduce payouts and make lowball offers. They’re going to look for every reason to reduce or deny your claim, and a lack of medical documentation will work against you.
To maximize your payout, get checked out right away and follow through with all prescribed treatment plans, whether it’s physical therapy, a specialist referral, or follow-up appointments.
2. Hire a car accident lawyer
For the best chance at maximizing your payout, you need a lawyer. Insurance companies always offer the lowest payout possible and will force you to negotiate hard just to get a few more bucks. They know you’re in pain, and they’re hoping you’ll take the first offer that seems like a lot of money, even if it doesn’t cover all of your medical bills. A lawyer will negotiate for you and make sure the adjuster doesn’t take advantage of your distress. In fact, people who hire a lawyer to negotiate on their behalf win settlements 3.5 times higher than those who handle their own claims.
One of the best reasons to hire an attorney is access to their expertise if your situation involves a delayed diagnosis, long-term care, or chronic pain management. An experienced lawyer will account for future treatment costs in their negotiations, not just immediate bills. They’ll know exactly how to value your claim when it involves lost wages, lost earning capacity, or non-economic damages. Without a lawyer, you risk severely undervaluing your claim by not accounting for future costs.
3. Avoid early settlement offers
The first offer you get will be too low, and that’s by design. Insurance adjusters are trained to offer as little money as possible to protect the company’s profits. It’s advised to wait until you reach the state of Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) before accepting a settlement offer. This is when your doctor determines your condition has stabilized. If you accept money before you reach MMI, you risk having to pay out of pocket for future medical expenses.
4. Don’t provide a recorded statement without a lawyer
Insurance adjusters often request recorded statements after an accident and present it as a requirement. Despite what the other driver’s insurance company implies, you aren’t legally required to give them a recorded statement. You may not even need to give one to your own insurance provider. Even a simple conversation can hurt you. Anything you say will be used to minimize your claim, deny your claim, or suggest fault. If you’re asked to give a statement, consult your attorney first.
5. Stay off social media completely
Keep your focus on recovery, not social media. Insurance companies routinely hire investigators to scour social media for posts that can be used to diminish or deny claims. They’ll even use innocent posts and twist the narrative. For example, posting a photo of yourself doing a handstand just three months before your injury can be used to discredit your injury if you can’t prove when the photo was taken.
Although it’s not foolproof, setting your profiles to private can limit your exposure. However, social media content – including deleted posts – can be legally retrieved even if your account is private.
Protect yourself to secure financial compensation
Maximizing your payout after a car accident injury isn’t hard, but you need a strategy. Seek immediate medical care, provide thorough documentation, hire a good lawyer, and follow through with your prescribed treatment plan. Although the exact amount of money you can recover will be determined by your unique situation, it’s the best way to maximize your compensation.
