Getting involved in a car accident is a serious enough ill fortune to deal with, not being able to successfully file car accident claims Winnetka CA can make it even more complicated. Many times, people with seemingly valid accident claims have walked away with next to nothing or nothing from their insurance agencies because of some silly mistakes they might have made. Here are some of them and how to avoid them
- Late Application
Although some states give deadlines of as much as a year to make claims on a no-fault insurance benefit. This though doesn’t mean that you should wait a long time before filing car accident claims Winnetka CA. You are advised to put a call through to your insurer as soon as you can, if possible, within 48 hours of the accident. Early notification like these increases your chances of receiving payment on your claim.
- Missing A Doctor’s Appointment
Some accident victims make the mistake of not taking the doctor’s appointment seriously. If you do this, your insurance company might misinterpret it to mean that you are now okay, or that you are not taking the lawsuit seriously. This could give them ground to void your claims. Thus, you must never miss a doctor’s appointment, and you must show that you are putting effort into being whole again.
- Filling Out A No-Fault Form
Filling out a no-fault form can be tricky and complex especially if you don’t have the slightest idea how to go about it. However, you must be very careful, as any mistake such as one wrong date can render your whole lawsuit null and void. To avoid this pitfall, it is best you fill the form under the guidance of a car accident lawyer.
- Lying
Many car accident victims have lost their right to claims because of lies, whether deliberately or not. Outright lying about an injury(ies) you might have, or rather have not sustained in a car accident is risky. This is because, even if you have sustained certain injuries, lying about others might make you lose all claims you have already made.
Also, if you attempted to carry out some household chores even though you already filed for replacement services, it’s best not to lie about it when asked. Chances are that your insurance agency has you under surveillance and will be able to reveal your lie. Even something as simple as this could hurt your lawsuit and make you lose everything.
- Signing Documents
Never sign anything without having your car accident lawyer go through it first. An insurance company could weave terms into the fine prints of a document that would give them a leverage in the lawsuit or violate your privacy.
- Preserve All Document
If you were hospitalized, keep all receipts, prescriptions, pill bottles, etc. Preserve all pictures you took at the scene of the accident. Keep a record and take pictures of any and all surgery you might have gone through. All these are pieces of evidence that could come in handy when you have to file a claim with your insurance company.
Do not be the next person to fall prey to these mistakes listed above. To avoid having to be very careful all the time, make sure you hire a very competent car accident lawyer and run any decisions or actions you want to take by him first.