Mistakes Frequently Made by Car Accidents Victims in California
After being involved in a traffic accident, it is completely normal to feel frightened, lost, and disoriented. Making immediate, in-the-moment decisions about the next step that you should take is very hard to do while surrounded by all that chaos. Drivers can sometimes make poor choices that stop them from being able to claim the full amount of the damages they sustained in the crash, like medical bills and lost wages from missing work.
Seeing what some of the most common mistakes are could help you learn to recognize and avoid them, thereby giving you your best odds on being able to collect financial compensation for all of the damages to which you are owed.
Giving a Formal Statement to Any Insurance Company
Once the car accident has taken place, you can expect calls from insurance companies to begin almost instantly. It is the industry standard for the agent who gets in touch with you to be either very hostile or very deceptive when it comes to implying that you HAVE TO give a recorded account of the events RIGHT NOW. Insurance companies are only interested in guarding their assets and in minimizing any and all potential payouts. You are not obliged to give them a recorded statement, nor is there any benefit to you in doing so.
By ambushing you and getting you to offer a statement when you are totally unguarded and, in all probability, still flustered is just one of the tactics that they use to get you to say things that can be twisted around, taken out of context, and used against you later on. In the state of California, you are not legally compelled to give any insurance company a recorded statement. Any attempt by the insurance company to get you to do so is a blatant attempt to gather evidence against you. If you fall victim to this trick, it could wind up being a very costly mistake in the long run.
Talking About the Accident on Social Media Sites
No matter which of today’s illustrious social media platforms you use, the moment that you post a picture or say a thing, it is now out there for the whole universe to see. Good for your amazing job promotion or your new house, bad for your car accident settlement. The people that can see (and may even be looking for) your posts include judges, insurance adjusters, and defense attorneys. Everything that you post on social media is fair game. In the words of our Miranda rights, “Anything you say can and will be used against you.” Even posting something as seemingly harmless as “Having a nice day today,” can be distorted and spun to suggest that you were not experiencing any pain from the injuries you claimed you received in the collision. After you have been involved in a traffic accident, it is best to “ghost” on all forms of social media until it is handled.
The attorneys here at Los Angeles Injury Group have years of experience helping people who have been injured in California car accidents get the compensation that they deserve. If you or someone that you love has been injured in a traffic accident, you may be entitled to collect financial restitution for damages such as medical bills, emergency room visits, lost wages from missed work, as well as pain and suffering. If you would be interested in a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced and reputable personal injury attorneys concerning your car accident case, then please give us a call at 310-954-7248 and speak with someone in our California office today.