Building a personal injury case requires attention to detail and knowledge of the law. You’ll need to speak to witnesses, take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries, and anticipate defense arguments so that you’re prepared to counter them.
Yet, while you’re focused on what the defendant did to cause your accident and thus your injuries, it’s easy to lose sight of how your post-accident actions can impact your case. And if you’re not careful, those actions could jeopardize the validity of your case.
With that in mind, let’s spend the remainder of this post looking at common pitfalls that accident victims often fall into, that way you know what you need to avoid as you navigate this complicated process.
Errors to avoid when building your personal injury case
Everything you do after your accident needs to be carefully thought out. Therefore, you should be especially wary of doing any of the following:
- Posting on social media: Although the Facebooks and Instagrams of the world can help you vent your frustrations and find support in your time of need, they can also put your personal injury claim in peril. This is because the defense is going to scour your social media accounts to see if they can find any pictures, videos, or written statements that they can use against you in court. This could include posts that show you engaging in activities that are indicative of less severe injuries than you claim, or statements that appear to show that you were at least partially at fault for the wreck. You’re better off staying away from social media for the time being.
- Toughing out your injuries: A lot of accident victims feel like they’re weak or that they’re going overboard in seeking treatment for their injuries, so they tend to forego care for those injuries that, in their eyes, are less severe. But this is a huge mistake that can be costly to your personal injury case. By foregoing care, you’ll miss out on creating a record of the nature and extent of your injuries, meaning your ultimate recovery from your personal injury case can be far less than you deserve.
- Talking to family members and friends about your case: You need support from your network of family and friends but be careful with what you say to them. The defense could subpoena them to testify against you, which could put them in a position where they have to testify about statements you made to them, even though they’re harmful to your case.
- Waiting too long to take legal action: There’s a statute of limitations that specifies how quickly you need to file your claim after your accident. If you wait too long, then you’ll miss the opportunity to advocate for what you need and deserve.
- Giving too much information to the insurance company: After your wreck, the defendant’s insurance company is probably going to reach out to you. They’re likely going to want a recorded statement so that they can lock you into it and then try to contradict you. Don’t give in to their demands and avoid giving them too much information. Be short and only provide them with the facts that they need to know. You’re probably better off waiting to talk to them until after you’ve discussed the matter with your attorney.
Don’t be a wrecking ball in your own personal injury case
Even when your case seems straightforward, there’s a lot that can go wrong. So, be diligent, comprehensive, and aggressive when building your personal injury case. That way you’ll maximize your chances of success and recovering what you need to secure your future.
