The 5 tips for getting more money from a car accident settlement or truck crash settlement include seeking medical care, collecting evidence, hiring an attorney, not accepting your first settlement offer, and being careful about what you say.
For more help, partner with an experienced Charlottesville car accident lawyer. You deserve full and fair compensation after an accident, and an attorney can put you on the right path to that goal.
1. Seeking Medical Care After a Car Accident Can Affect Your Settlement
Visiting a doctor is one of the four recommended steps to take immediately after a car accident. If your injuries do not demand emergency transportation, you still need to see a doctor within a few hours or a day after the incident.
Getting early care and treatment protects your health. Sometimes, pain, swelling, or other injury symptoms do not appear right away. Adrenaline can prevent you from realizing the extent of your injuries. Continued use of an injured body part or unrecognized internal bleeding can lead to devastating outcomes or even prove fatal.
Delaying care can also weaken your case. The at-fault party may argue you inflated your injuries after the fact, and if the damage had been truly severe, would have demanded fast care. The other side could also claim you caused your condition by waiting to see a doctor, and that they are not responsible for compensating you for that damage, ultimately causing you to get less money from a car accident settlement.
For a legal consultation with a personal injury lawyer, call (434) 817-3100
2. Getting More Money from a Car Accident Settlement Depends on the Quality of Your Evidence
Follow the car accident laws established in the Code of Virginia Article 11. Drivers involved in crashes have a legal duty to stop when an accident causes injury, death, or property damage, and must also report accidents to law enforcement. Stay at the scene until authorities arrive.
As long as you can move without hurting yourself, render aid to others injured. That may just involve calling 911. Then, exchange license, insurance, and information with those involved. Take down contact details from witnesses and ask them to email or text an account of the accident before their memories fade.
Next, photograph the entire accident scene, including the positions of the vehicles, the damage to them, and your injuries. Get pictures of road conditions and traffic signals, and note placements of any cameras mounted close by. A lawyer may be able to use this evidence to help you get more money from a car accident settlement.
3. A Car Accident Attorney May Help You Get More Money for Your Car Accident Settlement
Securing representation from a car accident lawyer can increase the possibility of getting fair compensation for your accident-related losses. The Code of Virginia Chapter 4 Section 8.01-243 establishes a two-year statute of limitations for most car-accident claims, so making that connection quickly is best. Virginia also has even shorter notice provisions for certain claims, and failing to satisfy these provisions can bar your claim.
Virginia’s contributory fault system, set in place by case law, is not particularly helpful to accident victims. This system bars victims from pursuing compensation if they bear any blame for the accidents.
An experienced lawyer may still be able to help you get compensated if the accident is partially your fault, but handling these complicated situations successfully on your own would be very difficult.
Your attorney knows how to undertake a thorough post-accident investigation to gather evidence to prove your claim and protect you from blame. Our team has connections with accident reconstructionists and other experts who can provide case-strengthening input that may lead to a more favorable outcome in your car accident settlement.
4. Rushing to Settle May Leave Money on the Table from a Car Accident
Insurance representatives may reach out with a fast offer in the days following your accident. Do not rush to accept. Do not accept any offers without having an attorney review your case. Our team will conduct that review at no cost.
Your car accident lawyer knows what damages are available in personal injury cases and will also know the actual value of your case. If you take a fast settlement, you probably will not receive what your case is worth and will soon regret your agreement.
As negotiations between your attorney and the at-fault party continue, even subsequent offers may be too low. Your lawyer will keep you posted on all offers and advise you on how to respond. We know how negotiations usually play out and will work to get you a settlement representing true financial justice.
5. What You Say Can Impact Getting Money from a Car Accident Settlement
Not minding what you say can cost you money from a car accident settlement. Though your sense of humanity may prompt you to commiserate with the other party involved by saying, “I’m so sorry this happened,” you need to resist saying anything that could be construed as an acknowledgment of fault or regret. This is because you do not have all of the information at the time and should not make a legal conclusion.
Do not speak to the other party’s insurance adjusters without consulting a car accident attorney. Limit your comments to your adjuster to the basic facts of the accident in your initial report.
Then, follow your attorney’s lead. An Insurance company’s top priority is holding on to its assets. They will use any opportunity to reduce their payouts.
Since social media can hurt a car accident claim, it might be best to disable your accounts until your case resolves. You must keep any posts that you have made about the crash, your injuries, or the impact of the crash on your life.
The at-fault party’s representatives will look for evidence of prior injuries or current activities that undermine your claim. Do not give them any accidental ammunition.
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MartinWren, P.C., Will Fight to Get More Money From Your Car Accident Settlement
At MartinWren, P.C., we’ve served thousands of clients going through challenging situations like the one you’re facing now. Our team works to maximize compensation from a car accident settlement.
We have secured impressive and much-deserved verdicts and settlements for our clients throughout our 15-plus years of service and will fight to do the same for you. Reach out today.
Call (434) 817-3100 or complete a Case Evaluation form
