Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filing an Auto Accident Claim in Florida

If you have a claim after an auto accident in Florida, it is up to you to make sure you receive the financial compensation you deserve. You need to take action promptly, but you also need to be very careful to avoid mistakes that could get in the way of recovering your financial and non-financial losses. What are the mistakes you need to avoid? Keep reading to find out from an experienced Florida accident lawyer.

What Not to Do When You Have an Auto Accident Claim in Florida

Protecting your legal rights after an auto accident in Florida starts with avoiding some all-too-common mistakes. Here are some examples of what not to do if you need to seek financial compensation for your accident-related injuries:

1. Do Not Ignore Your Pain or Other Symptoms

First and foremost, if you are experiencing pain or any other symptoms after your accident, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. There are several reasons not to ignore pain or other symptoms after an auto accident, including:

• Your injuries could get worse or lead to unnecessary complications without prompt treatment;
• You may be suffering from internal injuries that require emergency medical care; and,
• If you don’t seek medical treatment promptly, it will be more difficult to prove that your injuries are accident-related.

Proving that your injuries are accident-related is critical for recovering the financial compensation you deserve. If the auto insurance companies have valid grounds to dispute the cause of your injuries, they aren’t going to cover the costs of your treatment and recovery.

2. Do Not Wait to Contact Your Insurance Company

Speaking of the auto insurance companies, you should not wait to contact your insurer. Your insurer will need to investigate the accident in order to process your claim; and, here too, delays can lead to denials of coverage.

Even if you believe the other driver (or someone else) was at fault in your auto accident, you still need to report the accident to your insurance company. Not only is this required, but this is also an essential step for securing personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Under Florida’s “no fault” auto insurance law, you are entitled to PIP coverage under your policy regardless of who was at fault in your collision.

3. Do Not Underestimate the Costs of the Accident

If you were injured in your auto accident, it will be important not to underestimate the costs of your injuries. Accident-related injuries can lead to substantial costs, including medical bills, costs for prescriptions and medical supplies, and lost earnings.

Accident-related injuries can lead to long-term pain and suffering, permanent scarring, and other non-financial costs as well. If you have a liability claim outside of PIP, these are all costs that you can—and should—recover with the help of an experienced Florida accident lawyer.

4. Do Not Make Assumptions About Your Legal Rights

Another all-too-common mistake you need to avoid is making assumptions about your legal rights. Too often, auto accident victims assume that either:

• Recovering the compensation they deserve from the insurance companies will be easy; or,
• There is no point in trying to file an insurance claim because the insurance companies are just going to refuse to pay.

These assumptions can be equally costly. If you trust the insurance companies to treat you fairly, you are almost certainly going to be leaving money on the table—and you may end up having your claim unjustly denied. If you decide not to file an insurance claim, you will have no hope of recovering the financial compensation you deserve.

5. Do Not Misunderstand Your Auto Insurance Claim

Since it is important to file an insurance claim, it is also important to make sure you understand the insurance claims process. We mentioned Florida’s “no fault” auto insurance law above. While this law limits accident victims to filing PIP claims in some cases, there are also many circumstances in which auto accident victims can file fault-based liability claims to recover full compensation for their accident-related losses.

6. Do Not Let the Insurance Companies Take Advantage of You

If you are not proactive about protecting your legal rights, the insurance companies may take advantage of you—especially if you have a claim outside of PIP. This can leave you without the financial compensation you deserve, and this can leave you paying for the costs of someone else’s mistake for months or years to come.

When dealing with the insurance companies after an auto accident in Florida, you need to be very careful. You should not rely on the insurance companies to determine liability, and you should not rely on the insurance companies to determine how much you are entitled to recover.

7. Do Not Try to Handle Your Auto Accident Claim on Your Own

Given the various challenges involved in filing a successful auto accident claim, you should not try to handle your claim on your own. Instead, you should hire an experienced Florida accident lawyer to represent you. You can hire a lawyer to handle your claim at no out-of-pocket cost, and you can rely on your lawyer to handle your claim with your best interests in mind.

From receiving less than you deserve to receiving no compensation at all, there are lots of things that can go wrong when it comes to dealing with the insurance companies. Protecting your legal rights requires an unbiased investigation and an accurate calculation of the damages you are entitled to recover—and this means you need an experienced representative and advocate on your side.

Get Help from an Experienced Florida Accident Lawyer at Searcy Denney

If you are concerned about making mistakes when dealing with the insurance companies, we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. To get the help you need from an experienced Florida accident lawyer at Searcy Denney, call 800-780-8607 or tell us how we can reach you online now.