When you seek legal assistance, one of the first things your attorney will do is sit down with you and give you a list of things you should and should not do. You must adhere to your attorney’s legal advice, which is likely to include the following suggestions.
Say Nothing, and Sign Nothing.
You are under no legal obligation to speak with your insurance provider, the other party’s insurance provider, or the other party’s legal counsel. In fact, it is best if you say, “Please speak with my attorney.” Furthermore, never sign anything without having your attorney look it over first. While it may seem like a harmless request, you never know when a sentence, paragraph, or simple phrase can cause serious harm to your claim.
Never Admit Fault
Admitting fault either at the scene or in a recorded statement puts you, your insurance company, and your lawyer at a disadvantage. While it may be tempting to apologize in the heat of the moment after a crash — even when you did nothing wrong — you must remember that assigning fault isn’t your job, you need to leave that to the law enforcement and attorneys handling the case.
Denying Any Injury
Just because you feel okay after an accident doesn’t mean you’re fine. Adrenaline could be masking minor or major injuries, and an untreated minor injury could definitely get worse over time. Telling someone you don’t need medical treatment could prevent you from receiving personal injury compensation from the at-fault party. Prompt examination is necessary to tie injuries to a car accident, so pay attention to any symptoms you may be experiencing and seek medical treatment for any injuries – big or small.
Don’t Discuss Details with Friends and Family
Private investigators and other parties hired by the defense team can try to discover information about you and your case by reaching out to people closest to you. The less anyone knows about your case and any legal assistance you are receiving, the less they accidentally divulge in an unguarded moment. While it’s natural to have a small group of friends and/or family for advice, always make sure your circle is small and secure.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Assessing the long-term consequences of your injury and whether you have a case is a huge task for an untrained person to handle after a serious accident. Since a quality personal injury attorney will offer free, no-risk initial consultations, there’s no downside to speaking with a lawyer and receiving an expert assessment regarding your case. Meanwhile, if you choose not to contact a lawyer, you’ll likely face an uphill battle in terms of receiving compensation, and you could lose the opportunity to pursue justice forever due to the statute of limitations on personal injury cases.
The Hardee, Massey & Blodgett law team can help prepare you as you pursue a personal injury claim in North Carolina. We invite you to contact us at 252-378-2525 to schedule a free consultation with our team to discuss the legal assistance we provide and potential strategies for your claim.