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3 MISTAKES YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE WITH YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM

Jim Harris Aug. 24, 2020

When you're involved in a preventable accident caused by another person's negligence or malicious intent, it's important to contact a personal injury attorney to avoid making a mistake on your claim. Personal injury claims are essential for getting the just compensation you need to pay for the medical expenses and property damage caused by the accident. When you make a mistake on your claim, you put your just compensation at risk.

Here are some of the most common mistakes victims make when filing a personal injury claim and what you can do to avoid making these mistakes yourself.

  1. Not hiring a lawyer. Many victims assume they can't hire a lawyer for their case. However, personal injury attorneys charge a contingency fee. This means your lawyer will take your case with no payment upfront. Your lawyer will only collect a fee if they obtain a settlement in your case. Only about 5% of personal injury cases go to trial.

  2. Waiting too long to file. If you were injured or experienced property damage as the result of an accident, it's important to file a personal injury claim within two years of the accident. When you're filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you have two years from the date of the victim's death, not the date of the accident, to file a wrongful death claim. Waiting too long to file your claim will make your claim null and void and you won't be able to obtain just compensation.

  3. Not seeing a doctor immediately. When you file a claim, every action you take will be scrutinized by the defendant's lawyer and their insurance company. If you wait too long to see a doctor after a car accident or a slip, trip, or fall, the defendant's representation may be able to claim your injuries were from an unrelated incident. It's crucial to visit a doctor as soon as possible after the accident occurred and that you have every injury documented. This will help you not only with your claim but also during your case should your injuries be questioned.

Were you injured at work or on the road because of another person's negligence or malicious intent? We've got you covered. For more information on filing personal injury cases or for help filing your personal injury claim, contact the law offices of Jim Harris for a free consultation today.