Filing injury claims after being involved in car accidents can be very stressful. To make matters even worse, half of the information you find online is not actually the truth. If you need to learn about car accident personal injury claims, the best thing you can do is look for an experienced attorney who has experience with such cases. But, you surely also want to use the internet to get some extra information. In this case, here are some clear misconceptions about car accidents you need to stop believing.
Myth – Medical Attention Is Not Needed When You Feel Fine
It is very important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a car accident. You might feel that you are fine and your injuries are minor, but this cannot be guaranteed until you are checked by a doctor. Also, getting the right medical treatment is something that counts a lot because of several reasons, like:
- Improving your well-being and overall health.
- Guaranteeing your safety.
- Determining physical injury magnitude.
- Detecting hidden injuries you know nothing about.
- Complying with the requirements of the insurance company.
- Avoiding future issues that could appear with insurance companies.
Myth – Minor Accidents Do Not Require Police Reports
In every single US state, there are specific car accident reporting requirements. For instance, in the state of Virginia, you have to report the incident in one day whenever the crash involved any:
- Death
- Injury
- Property damage over $1,5000
You have to check if you have to report the car accident or not even if it is minor or you might be faced with legal problems. In addition, many insurers want to see insurance claims being filed in under 2 days.
Myth – Your Insurance Policy Will Cover Damages And Medical Costs
Sometimes this is true but in many cases, it is not. In various cases, parties at fault are liable for property damages, injuries, and other costs related to the accidents. If you want to recover the damages, negligence has to be proven. This automatically means you have to prove the following:
- The party at fault owed you some sort of duty of care.
- The party at fault breached that duty.
- It was the reckless action or negligence of the party at fault that led to the accident.
- Actual harm was suffered, or monetary damages, or bodily injuries.
Myth – You Do Not Need A Personal Injury Attorney When Filing The Injury Claim
The reality is that it is crucial to hire experienced personal injury attorneys. The lawyer can do wonders in helping you to file the insurance claim, gather evidence, and submit all the documentation that is necessary for the process to go as smoothly as possible. Basically, the personal injury attorney will help you through every single phase of the process.
It should also be added that the personal injury attorney can and should handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies. This leads to a much fairer settlement. If the settlement is not reached, the attorney can take some additional legal actions, like taking the case to trial.