Car accidents can result in various injuries; one of the most common and painful types is broken bones. These injuries can be physically debilitating and emotionally and financially challenging. While you focus on your recovery, negotiating with insurance companies can add another layer of complexity.
Below is a comprehensive overview of protecting your rights and preventing insurance companies from undermining your broken bones claim after a car accident.
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What Is the Impact of Broken Bones?
Broken bones, also known as fractures, can occur in different parts of the body, such as the arms, legs, ribs, or spine. The severity of these injuries varies from simple fractures to complex, compound fractures.
Regardless of the type, broken bones can have significant consequences, including:
- Pain and suffering: Broken bones often result in severe pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility. This affects your overall well-being.
- Medical expenses: Treating broken bones may require surgery, casts, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical care. As you can conclude, this leads to substantial medical expenses.
- Lost wages: Recovery may entail time away from work, resulting in lost wages and financial strain.
- Emotional distress: Coping with a broken bone’s physical and emotional challenges can be distressing.
Taking specific steps when dealing with insurance companies is essential to protect your rights and ensure you receive fair compensation for these losses.
Step 1: Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Your health is the top priority. After a car accident, especially when you suspect you have broken bones, seek immediate medical attention. Here’s why this is crucial:
- Diagnosis and treatment: Prompt medical care ensures a proper diagnosis of your injuries and immediate treatment to set and stabilize broken bones, speeding up your recovery.
- Medical records: Seeking medical attention creates a documented medical record of your injuries. This record is a crucial piece of evidence in your claim.
- Preventing complications: Early medical intervention helps prevent complications arising from untreated or improperly treated fractures.
Step 2: Notify Your Insurance Company
It’s essential to get in touch with your insurance company quickly after the accident to let them know what happened and about your injuries in a simple and clear way. This is important for a few key reasons. First, insurance policies usually have specific time limits for reporting accidents.
If you wait too long, it could harm your chances of getting the support you need. Second, when you tell your insurance company, it creates an official record of the accident, which can be really helpful for your claim.
Lastly, getting in touch with them right away means you can get advice and help as you go through the process, making things smoother and less stressful.
Step 3: Consult with an Attorney
Dealing with insurance companies can be tricky at times. Luckily, having legal support can make a significant difference. Here’s why a car accident attorney at Whitley Law can help:
- Legal expertise: Attorneys specializing in personal injury cases deeply understand the legal process and insurance company tactics.
- Negotiation skills: An attorney can negotiate on your behalf, ensuring you are not taken advantage of.
- Legal proceedings: If negotiations fail, an attorney can initiate legal proceedings and represent your interests in court.
Step 4: Document the Accident
Collecting and protecting all evidence related to the accident is vital. The following are some key pieces of evidence that should be obtained:
- Photographs: Take photographs of the accident scene, your vehicle, and your injuries. Visual evidence can be compelling.
- Witness statements: If there were witnesses to the accident, get their contact information. These statements can corroborate your account.
- Police report: Ensure a police report is filed if it wasn’t done at the scene of the accident. This report can serve as an official document of the incident.
Step 5: Preserve Medical Records
Keeping and sorting your medical records is a crucial part of your claim. This step is extremely important for a few reasons. Your medical records hold all the info about how you were treated, what the doctors found, and how you’re getting better. They tell the whole story about your injuries.
These records show how much your medical treatments cost. That’s key when you want to ask for money to cover these expenses. And, sometimes, your medical records might include expert opinions from doctors. These opinions help explain how bad your injuries are, making your case stronger and helping you ask for fair compensation.
By keeping your medical records neat and tidy, you’re in a better position to make a strong case and protect your rights when you’re dealing with your claim.
Step 6: Be Cautious When Dealing with Insurance Adjusters
Insurance adjusters may attempt to minimize your claim. Below, are some tips on how to protect your rights during interactions with adjusters:
- Do not admit fault: Do not admit fault or provide recorded statements without your attorney’s presence or advice.
- Consult your attorney: If an adjuster makes an offer or requests information, speak with your lawyer before responding.
- Document all communication: Keep records of all communication with the insurance company. This will include emails and phone calls.
Step 7: Evaluate the Offer Or Pursue Legal Action if Necessary
Carefully evaluate any settlement offer from the insurance company. Your attorney can help you assess whether the offer is fair and sufficient to cover your losses. Consider things such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Legal action may be the next step if initial negotiations fail to end in a fair settlement. Your lawyer can guide you and represent your interests in court.
Always Get Back What You Deserve
As you now know, negotiating and speaking with insurance companies can be challenging. However, following these steps and seeking legal representation can prevent insurance companies from undermining your claim. Your health and well-being are of utmost importance. With the right approach and professional support, you can ensure fair compensation for your injuries’ physical, emotional, and financial impact.
