These are the major do’s and don’ts after a Lawrence auto accident that you should remember.
DON’T:
- Fail to get the medical treatment that you need. If you are involved in an auto accident, you will most likely have personal injury protection benefits, even if you don’t have health coverage. $4500 is the minimum amount of coverage that will likely apply under Kansas law; depending on the applicable automobile insurance policy, some PIP benefit plans far exceed the statutory minimum. Car accident trauma can cause medical conditions that can be deadly if left undiagnosed. You might as well take advantage of the PIP coverage if applicable, as in most cases, if your accident caused any pain or jarring to your body because it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Talk to the liability insurance adjuster for the other driver’s insurance company. The adjusters will attempt to settle your case early for as little compensation as possible and are well-trained to develop a rapport. Typically, a statement of the facts will be required from you by the adjuster. The adjusters often use leading questions designed for you to give an account of the facts that are not helpful to your case for compensation. If you realize that you have undiscovered injuries or find the settlement is unfair, insurance companies, or their lawyers, will often use this statement against you later in the case.
- Settle your case without talking to an experienced personal injury lawyer. You will never be offered what the case is worth while the insurance company counts on the fact that you are less likely to know the value of your case. An experienced personal injury lawyer will find out about many angles under the law you may not have anticipated and give you a basic valuation of your case.
DO:
- Take pictures and write down as much as you can about the accident and your injuries. The old adage, a picture is worth 1000 words, still holds true. You can never have to many pictures, but it is important to get both the vehicles and scene of the accident documented. Additional pictures can become valuable because sometimes the police photos of the accident scene are not kept or otherwise don’t get the complete view of the accident.
- Tell your medical care providers as much as you can about the accident, the mechanism of injury, all of the places on your body that you are experiencing pain, limited range of motion, or other symptoms related to your injuries. If you don’t provide the details, they will never make it to the medical records. The insurance company will trust the medical records and will not believe your claims to have had greater injuries than are documented.
- Keep as many of your medical bills and medical records as you’re able to collect. It could be valuable to look back on your trail of medical bills and records; it never hurts to save that kind of information.
- Call Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys of Lawrence for an initial consultation and review of your case at no cost. Over the years of practice between the lawyers in our firm, we have handled thousands of cases and now only handle injury cases. We use our experience to give you an honest evaluation of your case.
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