San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AFTER AN ACCIDENT
- SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION IF YOU ARE INJURED. As obvious as this may sound, many clients don't seek immediate necessary medical treatment for a number of reasons. Some believe they can live with the pain, some don't have medical insurance, while others may not want to incur any medical expense. It is extremely important to seek prompt medical attention, not only for your health and well-being, but also to document your injuries as soon as possible.
- IF YOU SEE A DOCTOR, TELL THE DOCTOR ABOUT ALL OF YOUR INJURIES. It is crucial to your case to have all your injuries documented. Sometimes, you may be focused on one overwhelming injury and may forget to mention other injuries. Also, doctors are usually very busy and may not have time to document all of your injuries. Respectfully repeat all of your injuries and ask if all the injuries have been documented.
- HIRE AN EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT YOU. Insurance company adjusters are trained to evaluate claims. They may offer a quick settlement in exchange for a release, which results in your case closing. They usually offer you far less than what your case is worth. This is done quickly to avoid your having the chance of hiring an attorney and to alleviate them from paying all of your necessary medical bills. An experienced personal injury attorney knows the value of your case and is in a better position to handle and negotiate on your behalf.
- DON'T SPEAK WITH THE OTHER SIDE'S INSURANCE COMPANY REGARDING YOUR INJURIES. It may be acceptable to speak to the insurance company about fixing your vehicle, but not about your bodily injuries. You are under no legal obligation to do so. Simply tell the insurance adjuster that you are still investigating and you will call him/her back when you are ready. Then call aSan Diego personal injury attorney immediately for assistance. If you tell the insurance company that you are represented by an attorney, they can no longer speak to you about your case.
- DO NOT GIVE ANY RECORDED STATEMENT TO THE OTHER SIDE'S INSURANCE COMPANY. Be cautious if a friendly insurance adjuster calls you after an accident to talk about your injuries. The real reason the adjuster is calling is to weaken your case by having you make statements that will harm your case.
- DO NOT SIGN ANY MEDICAL AUTHORIZATIONS PROVIDED BY THE OTHER SIDE'S INSURANCE COMPANY. The insurance companies want you to sign these documents so they can retrieve your prior medical records and shift the cause of your present injuries to your prior injuries.
- NEVER ADMIT YOU ARE AT FAULT. Even if you think you may be at fault, subsequent investigation could determine that you may not be at fault or that you may be only partially at fault.
Our firm's emphasis throughout the years has been focused on the handling of a variety of San Diego personal injury cases ranging in severity from major multiple fatality auto accidents to minor impact collisions. We have also handled wrongful deaths, brain injuries, spine injuries, whiplash/soft tissue injuries, product liability cases, dog bites, and slip and falls. You may call our office at 619.444.2244 for a free no obligation consultation regarding your personal injury case.