5 Ways You Lose Money in Your Car Accident Claim and Don’t Even Know It

Car accidents are stressful enough without having to worry about missing out on the money you are legally entitled to.

Being the victim of a car accident is stressful enough. You have to deal with medical treatment, recovery, mental trauma, changed routine, and sometimes you lose something for the rest of your life. On top of that, you have to worry about how you will pay all the bills that are accumulating, and how to wrap the event up legally.

Going through a car accident claim is generally not be as simple as you think. The main entity to worry about when filing a claim is the insurance company. As for-profit companies, they are doing their best to minimize their spending. So you have to present irrefutable evidence to support your claim.

Another possible source of problems for you is an inexperienced attorney. If you can’t rely on them, your case will be affected or even compromised completely. 

Here are 5 ways you can end up losing money in your car accident claim. Watch out for any sign that one of these things might happen and fight it early on.

Your Words May Be Used Against You

Insurance adjusters seem to be hired to record an objective version of the events. Officially, that’s what they do, but in reality, they have various strategies that help the insurance company pay less. Be careful what you say to the insurance adjuster or other insurance company representatives, and don’t agree to give a recorded statement. Direct them to your attorney.

Your Attorney Is Setting Unrealistic Expectations

If your attorney tells you that an immense amount of money is guaranteed to be won, and seems to present a miraculously easy case, you may have cause for concern. A good attorney will be transparent and honest about the difficulties of the case and will fight to get you what you are legally entitled to, without setting unrealistic expectations. 

Your Independent Medical Exam Results Change the Case

If you go to your independent medical exam and you give contradictory statements about your condition, your case will likely suffer. Often, even if you don’t exaggerate your injuries or scale them down, the doctor might write an inaccurate report that gives the insurance company an advantage. 

You Post Incriminatory Photos or Messages on Social Media

Your social media is personal and should not be a subject of concern in a legal matter. Right? Well, to your surprise, some insurance adjusters find your social media accounts and hunt for clues that your injuries are not actually as bad as you say they are. Even posting a recent picture where you’re smiling for a family photo can be misinterpreted as the lack of pain and suffering. 

Your Attorney Abandons You

Not hearing from your attorney for a while should be concerning. A lot of people assume that their attorney is just very busy with their case, when in fact they are abandoned as clients. Be very specific about what’s a reasonable answer time from your attorney and make sure they follow-up with you are on regular basis. 

If any of these scenarios are happening to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. for a FREE case evaluation.