If you are injured in an accident with a negligent delivery truck driver, it’s easy to make mistakes. Unfortunately, missteps in the aftermath of an accident can hurt your claim and impact the maximum compensation you might be able to recover.
Here, we share some common delivery truck accident mistakes you should avoid.
Delaying Medical Care
If your injuries are not serious enough to require a trip to the hospital in an ambulance, you might think medical treatment isn’t necessary. However, you should always seek medical attention after an accident because some injuries are not immediately apparent. A doctor can look for these latent injuries and document your condition after the accident.
In addition, if you do not seek immediate medical treatment and it turns out you do have injuries, insurance companies may use this lack of medical attention against you. They might try to minimize the extent of your injuries. They might also try to say that the injuries were not a result of the accident. Medical treatment documentation based on doctor findings after a delivery truck accident can go a long way toward helping your case.
Not Calling Police or Preserving Evidence
Regardless of the severity of a delivery truck accident, you need a police report of the accident. It is useful to have the police investigator’s impression of what happened to cause the accident.
If possible, you should also document the scene of the accident yourself. Take pictures of the scene, the signage, the road conditions, the placement of vehicles on the roadway, any skid marks, and anything else that could have contributed to the accident. Document the condition of the vehicles involved and take pictures of your injuries. All of this evidence can prove to be invaluable when you are attempting to prove liability for the crash.
Interacting With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies might try to get you to make a recorded statement after the crash, but this is usually not a good idea until you have spoken to an attorney. Remember that the insurance company’s goal is to pay out as little as possible, and they will do whatever they can to reach that goal. This often includes trying to get you to admit fault. You don’t want to ignore the insurance company, but you should speak with an attorney first.
You should also resist the urge to accept an initial settlement offer from an insurance company. This offer could very well be quite a bit less than the amount to which you are likely entitled.
Embellishing the Severity of Your Injuries
Never exaggerate or misrepresent your injuries after an accident injury. It’s not difficult for insurance investigators to reveal a misrepresentation by following you in person or monitoring your social media accounts. If you do this and an insurance investigator discovers that your injuries are not as bad as you have claimed, your credibility could be damaged at best and you could be charged with insurance fraud at worst. The consequences of an insurance fraud conviction can negatively impact your professional, social, and residential life.
Failing to Contact an Attorney
Without an experienced car accident attorney on your side, you risk not recovering all of the compensation to which you are entitled. You should never attempt to negotiate with the truck driver who caused the crash or deal with the insurance company without legal representation. A skilled Texas delivery truck accident lawyer can help ensure you don’t make common mistakes that could jeopardize your case. Connect with our office today by going through the link on this page.
We also invite you to order our free book called The Essential Guide For Your Texas Injury Case. It will answer many of your questions and provide you with an overview of a personal injury lawsuit.
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