Four Tips To Help You Avoid Mistakes After a Car Accident

Too many people delay or do nothing after a car accident. West Virginia Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey T. Jones recently discussed four ways that a lawyer can help you avoid crucial mistakes after an auto accident.

“Way too many people have told me they wished they had acted sooner before important witnesses moved and could no longer be found or before delays or gaps in their medical treatment proved fatal to their case,” said Charleston, West Virginia personal injury attorney Jeffrey T. Jones.

“I have encountered many people who have suffered injuries from an auto accident or who have been injured at work, but they failed to seek the right legal advice. Some of these people haven’t gone to a lawyer because they did not know they had the right to compensation, didn’t realize they only had a limited time to do something, were intimidated by the thought of filing a claim or had bad experiences with other lawyers in the past,” said Jones.

“Don’t let this happen to you.  There are many things a lawyer can help you with in these type of situations,” said Jones who has written a Special Report on dealing with insurance companies.

Jones, who also wrote the West Virginia Automobile Accident Guide provides these tips on what a lawyer can do for you:

1.   The insurance company is in the business to make money and most are not going to do you any favors when it comes to settling your case. Several years ago, the insurance industry conducted a study. The study was done by The Insurance Research Council and it showed that, on average, people who use an attorney receive 3 ½ times more money in their settlement than those who do not use an attorney.

2.   As you know, the insurance company is always calling you, wanting you to get information for them or they keep trying to talk you into taking some small amount of money to settle your case. YOU DON’T NEED THE ADDED STRESS AND AGGRAVATION. Let your lawyer get all this information for you and deal with the insurance company. You should be spending your time doing more important things ------- LIKE GOING TO DOCTOR AND THERAPY APPOINTMENTS AND GETTING BETTER!

3.   It is important that all the crucial evidence and witness testimony be saved in your case. EVIDENCE CAN BE LOST AND WITNESSES WHO DON’T SEEM IMPORTANT TO YOU NOW, BUT IN FACT ARE VERY IMPORTANT, MAY MOVE AWAY AND THEIR TESTIMONY CAN BE LOST. When you’re injured your main concern is getting better. Most of the time you don’t think about the evidence or the witness you need to win your case, but not having either of these pieces to the puzzle may cause you to lose your case. SO WHILE YOU’RE RECOVERING FROM YOUR INJURIES LET YOUR LAWYER INVESTIGATE YOUR CASE. HE OR SHE SHOULD KNOW WHAT EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY NEED TO BE SAVED TO HELP YOU WIN YOUR CASE.

4.   If you don’t have any health insurance it may be hard to pay your medical bills. When you can’t pay your bills, sometimes the health care providers, or worse, the collection agencies, will write and call about payment of your bills. YOU’RE IN BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE! YOU NEED THE TREATMENT TO GET BETTER, BUT CAN’T PAY FOR IT. SOMETIMES YOUR LAWYER CAN WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND THE DOCTOR SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO GET YOUR TREATMENT AND RECOVER FROM YOUR INJURIES.

“If you at least contact a lawyer after you are injured, you may help avoid damaging what otherwise might be a solid case, and help you get the full compensation you deserve,” said Jones.