If you sustained a spinal cord injury in a collision caused by a fatigued truck driver or lost a loved one to a drunken driver, you are understandably overwhelmed with excruciating pain, financial hardships and lots of questions. While the most important priority when suffering serious injuries caused by the negligent conduct of another is recovering from one’s injuries, the medical expenses and lost income experienced by personal injury victims makes taking appropriate actions to preserve a claim for financial compensation important to protecting one’s quality of life. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys have provided an overview of two common mistakes to avoid for those who suffer severe injury in a motor vehicle accident.
1. Do not delay in seeking legal representation when you suffer injury because of a careless or inattentive driver.
Many people who are injured by drunk, distracted and speeding drivers put off seeking legal advice for a variety of reasons. There are many that believe that the best approach is to contact the other driver’s insurance company to determine whether the insurance carrier will make an appropriate offer to settle the matter. Other parties see no justification for contacting an Atlanta car accident lawyer because they believe that they did not suffer serious injury, or they believe that they are responsible for their own injuries. While these injury victims may discover later that waiting to obtain legal advice is a mistake, the damage caused during such a delay may include the failure to obtain medical treatment, making compromising comments to insurance companies and losing critical evidence and witnesses.
Because many personal injury attorneys like those at the Atlanta personal injury law firm of Montlick and Associates offer a free initial consultation, there is really nothing to lose in seeking an evaluation of your case and explanation of your legal rights. If you prepare questions that you have prior to the initial consultation, you can maximize the value of this opportunity to obtain the “lay of the land.” There are many ways that parties who initially attempt to handle their own personal injury claim can irreparably damage the viability and value of their claim. The insurance company for the other driver has no motivation to advise you about how to proceed, and it may well entice you to make a critical mistake, such as prematurely signing a general release waiving future claims or providing a potentially damaging recorded interview.
2. Do not underestimate the severity of your injuries by assuming that minor symptoms do not justify obtaining medical care.
Some people who do not lose consciousness or feel only dull pain in their back presume that they have not suffered injuries significant enough to justify seeking medical attention. However, extremely painful and debilitating injuries like traumatic brain injuries or a herniated disc may initially manifest only minor symptoms that mask the serious nature of a victim’s injury. The false sense of security that comes from these minor symptoms can delay urgent treatment which may result in a less favorable prognosis. Further, the other driver’s insurance company frequently will cite the fact that the injured driver did not promptly obtain medical care as evidence that his or her injuries are less serious than claimed by the injury victim. When you seek medical care following a car crash, the best approach is to disclose all symptoms no matter how trivial they may seem at the time.
When you elect to skip recommended diagnostic screenings, this may delay or prevent detection of serious conditions which may adversely impact the outcome of your medical treatment as well as your legal claim because of a lack of objective medical evidence regarding your injuries. If you fail to complete your rehabilitation or skip follow up appointments, this too can compromise both your health and your personal injury claim.
Contact the Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys at Montlick and Associates Now!
If you have questions about the settling auto accident claims, or the court process in personal injury lawsuits, our Atlanta personal injury lawyers have been representing injury victims for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.
Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
