Here are the top 8 mistakes made after a Florida car accident:
Not contacting the Police
In order to build a valid claim, you are required to call the police is critical after the car accident in Florida. This is also important for getting the right amount of compensation. As per Florida law, you need to contact the police right after an accident. When you call the police to the accident scene, it certainly caters to lawful requirements in the state of Florida. On top of that, it helps you construct your personal injury claim. The police report helps you establish that the car accident took place on a fixed day plus time. Thus, it acts as evidence that you were injured due to the accident.
In case you have visible injuries, the police can take note of the same in their report. They might not be able to investigate a civil claim. However, they can act as a great support system when it comes to collecting the right pieces of evidence that ought to be valuable to you to strengthen your personal injury case.
Not taking the case to trial
A majority of car accident cases get settled before they are taken to the trial. If the other side does not pay you properly, you can take your case to trial to get a genuine court order. This might be your last option to get fair compensation for the damages caused. The law in Florida makes sure that people get the right amount of compensation. If you are required to take your case to trial to attain justice, you must exercise your set of legal rights.
Make sure to get representation from an experienced car accident attorney in South Florida. He/she is the right person to represent you legally in court. He/she can fight for you and speak on your behalf. Also, they can give you valuable advice as to whether you should go for a settlement or take your personal injury case to trial.
Not informing your doctor about your symptoms
You might want to downplay your injuries right after a Florida car accident. In order to pacify yourself and release some pain, you might tell yourself constantly that your injuries are not that severe. However, in this process, do not hold back from giving out all the info to your doctor. Keep in mind that small details matter as well. If you withhold, it would certainly get your case complicated. You might not be aware of the severity of your injuries in some cases. Your doctor might be able to recognize these injuries if you let them know about your symptoms.
In certain cases, some injury-related symptoms do get worse over a course of time. If you have a list of symptoms but do not tell the doctor about those, the insurance company might just doubt your claim and question it.
Making apologies for the accident
The other party is likely to use your statements against you in court. According to the Florida Evidence Code, the other party can certainly admit your statements at trial. If you apologize in some wat, the other side might use it as proof that you were partly responsible for the accident. In worse situations, they might even tend to put all the blame on you! So, beware!
Do not make apologies right after a Florida car accident. Your personal injury lawyer can deal with a lot of communications with the other side.
Not visiting a doctor
When you get medical attention right after an accident, it gets easy for you to prove that your injuries arose from the car accident in Florida. If you wait for some time to see a doctor, it certainly gives the insurance company the chance to question the severity of your injuries. When you see the doctor early on, it gets easy for them to diagnose your injuries. Also, they would provide you with a good recovery plan.
After the Florida car accident, you usually get a period of 14 days to go and visit a doctor. You need to visit a reliable doctor to claim PIP benefits for the physical injuries that you have sustained in the accident. If you miss this time frame, the insurance company might as well reduce the value of your claim or even deny it. As per Florida the law, you must seek medical care within a period of 14 days of an accident. This is vital if you wish to make a valid claim for medical bills by means of your PIP insurance.
Thinking that you cannot be a Legal Claim
As a state, Florida has a no-fault system for most of the car accidents. Many are under the wrong impression that this no-fault system deters all car accident lawsuits! This is just false!
Florida law does enable you to file a personal injury claim against the third party for compensation. This is applicable when you have prominent or long-lasting injuries due to the car accident. In such cases, you are likely to have a solid case for financial compensation.
Posting frequently on Social Media
Look before you post something on social media! Keep in mind that social media is admissible in court. Now, you might have your status set to friends only. Still, it is not 100% safe to make a statement on a public platform. If you say something outright to the other party on social media, it might cost you big time. The other party might find a way to take your posts out of context. Most times, they make sure to use it against you and your claim. To be on the safer side, do not post on social media. Wait for your personal injury case to resolve first.
Singing a release
Most insurance companies wish to resolve the case as soon as possible. So, they do tend to send you a release of claims. And this might get your claim denied.
Not contacting the Police
In order to build a valid claim, you are required to call the police is critical after the car accident in Florida. This is also important for getting the right amount of compensation. As per Florida law, you need to contact the police right after an accident. When you call the police to the accident scene, it certainly caters to lawful requirements in the state of Florida. On top of that, it helps you construct your personal injury claim. The police report helps you establish that the car accident took place on a fixed day plus time. Thus, it acts as evidence that you were injured due to the accident.
In case you have visible injuries, the police can take note of the same in their report. They might not be able to investigate a civil claim. However, they can act as a great support system when it comes to collecting the right pieces of evidence that ought to be valuable to you to strengthen your personal injury case.
Not taking the case to trial
A majority of car accident cases get settled before they are taken to the trial. If the other side does not pay you properly, you can take your case to trial to get a genuine court order. This might be your last option to get fair compensation for the damages caused. The law in Florida makes sure that people get the right amount of compensation. If you are required to take your case to trial to attain justice, you must exercise your set of legal rights.
Make sure to get representation from an experienced car accident attorney in South Florida. He/she is the right person to represent you legally in court. He/she can fight for you and speak on your behalf. Also, they can give you valuable advice as to whether you should go for a settlement or take your personal injury case to trial.
Not informing your doctor about your symptoms
You might want to downplay your injuries right after a Florida car accident. In order to pacify yourself and release some pain, you might tell yourself constantly that your injuries are not that severe. However, in this process, do not hold back from giving out all the info to your doctor. Keep in mind that small details matter as well. If you withhold, it would certainly get your case complicated. You might not be aware of the severity of your injuries in some cases. Your doctor might be able to recognize these injuries if you let them know about your symptoms.
In certain cases, some injury-related symptoms do get worse over a course of time. If you have a list of symptoms but do not tell the doctor about those, the insurance company might just doubt your claim and question it.
Making apologies for the accident
The other party is likely to use your statements against you in court. According to the Florida Evidence Code, the other party can certainly admit your statements at trial. If you apologize in some wat, the other side might use it as proof that you were partly responsible for the accident. In worse situations, they might even tend to put all the blame on you! So, beware!
Do not make apologies right after a Florida car accident. Your personal injury lawyer can deal with a lot of communications with the other side.
Not visiting a doctor
When you get medical attention right after an accident, it gets easy for you to prove that your injuries arose from the car accident in Florida. If you wait for some time to see a doctor, it certainly gives the insurance company the chance to question the severity of your injuries. When you see the doctor early on, it gets easy for them to diagnose your injuries. Also, they would provide you with a good recovery plan.
After the Florida car accident, you usually get a period of 14 days to go and visit a doctor. You need to visit a reliable doctor to claim PIP benefits for the physical injuries that you have sustained in the accident. If you miss this time frame, the insurance company might as well reduce the value of your claim or even deny it. As per Florida the law, you must seek medical care within a period of 14 days of an accident. This is vital if you wish to make a valid claim for medical bills by means of your PIP insurance.
Thinking that you cannot be a Legal Claim
As a state, Florida has a no-fault system for most of the car accidents. Many are under the wrong impression that this no-fault system deters all car accident lawsuits! This is just false!
Florida law does enable you to file a personal injury claim against the third party for compensation. This is applicable when you have prominent or long-lasting injuries due to the car accident. In such cases, you are likely to have a solid case for financial compensation.
Posting frequently on Social Media
Look before you post something on social media! Keep in mind that social media is admissible in court. Now, you might have your status set to friends only. Still, it is not 100% safe to make a statement on a public platform. If you say something outright to the other party on social media, it might cost you big time. The other party might find a way to take your posts out of context. Most times, they make sure to use it against you and your claim. To be on the safer side, do not post on social media. Wait for your personal injury case to resolve first.
Singing a release
Most insurance companies wish to resolve the case as soon as possible. So, they do tend to send you a release of claims. And this might get your claim denied.
