When you’re hurt in an accident, it’s important to do everything possible to preserve your rights and pursue fair compensation. There are some things that you should do when you’re hurt in an accident. These things include seeking emergency medical attention and speaking with an personal injury law firm as soon as possible. In addition to things that you should do, here are some things that you should not do if you’re injured in an accident:
Don’t apologize
What you say to the other side is admissible in court. Something the other party says is an admission by party opponent. Even if you make the statement outside of court, the other side or any other witness can testify to the things that you say. This can be damaging if you offer an apology on the scene.
You may want to offer an apology just to be friendly with the other party, but ultimately this can be damaging to your recovery. It’s best to simply ask the other side if they need emergency medical attention and call the police. It’s also important to gather as much contact information as you can for other parties and potential witnesses. Even if you’re not sure what information is going to be important later, saving this information for your personal injury attorneys can make it easier for them to build your case.
Don’t ignore your attorney’s phone calls or emails
Your personal injury lawyers want to help you build the strongest case possible. To file your case, they may have follow up questions about the facts. Once they file your summons and complaint, they need to help you conduct discovery. The other side may ask you for some discovery too. Likely, your attorney is going to need your help answering some of the questions. Your attorney probably also has important court dates to pass on.
When your attorney tries to contact you, the matter might be urgent. Don’t ignore your attorney’s phone call or wait too long to return the call. Your attorney likely pays attention to detail, and this may require an extra phone call to make sure they fully understand the facts. Ultimately, helping your attorney helps you. In addition, if your contact information changes, make sure you let your attorney know as soon as possible.
Don’t fail to seek medical treatment
Medical bills are one of the types of damages that you can recover if you’re injured in an accident. It’s important to get the right medical care in order to create an expert record of your injuries. This medical care is also critical to proving what medical bills you’re likely to have in the future because of the accident. An expert physician can also testify to future work restrictions or your current inability to work because of your injuries.
At the same time, if your doctor gives you restrictions, it’s important to follow them. A jury isn’t going to look favorably on testimony that you’re not following your doctor’s care plan. If you’re told to rest, you should follow your doctor’s advice and participate in your own rehabilitation.
Don’t wait too long to hire an attorney
In New York personal injury law, you have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit after you’re hurt in an accident. Don’t wait too long in order to bring the case or you may lose your chance. The name for the length of time you have to file the case is called the statute of limitations. It’s three years for most types of accidents, but it may be more or less in your case.
When you file your case before the deadline, you can bring your case for the full amount of your losses. This is true even if you file the day before the deadline. If you file one day after the deadline, the other side can ask the court to throw out the entire case.
That means you can lose the case even if you have significant damages and the other party is clearly at fault. It’s important not to wait to hire your attorney, because you need to meet this deadline. In addition to meeting the deadline to file the case, the sooner you have an attorney to represent you, the sooner they can set to work helping you recover fairly and fully for your losses.
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