Common Mistakes to Avoid After Being Injured

Too often victims are denied financial compensation because of mistakes made before they hire a lawyer. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Waiting too long before contacting an attorney. The passage of time works against you after damages and injuries occur. Witnesses will forget crucial details and frequently important documents are lost or destroyed. More importantly, the statute of limitations will forever bar your claim if you wait too long. Each state has a different statute of limitations. Some are as short as one year.

Accepting a settlement too early and without legal counsel. If you are offered compensation, it is because the other party is aware they have wrongfully harmed you. It’s quite possible you are owed more than what is offered. When you accept compensation for damages or injuries you will sign away the right to take any legal action, even if your injuries turn out to be far greater than you initially thought. If you’ve been seriously injured or are unsure of the outcome of your injury, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible and certainly before you give any statements or sign any papers of any kind from an insurance company.

Assuming your injury was unavoidable. Some injuries seem unavoidable or just bad luck. In reality, however, many injuries are not only avoidable, but should have been foreseen. How are you to be certain? Would you really know if a drug’s benefits outweighed the risks for your medical condition? Would you know if alternative medical procedures were available to you if they were never mentioned? Most people would not. That’s when you need experienced legal counsel on your side to evaluate your case.