Blog

6 Reasons Not to Wait to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

All too often, a person who is injured in an accident decides to wait to contact a personal injury attorney. They may hear that they have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit (in most cases) and assume that there is no reason to hire an attorney right away. This can be a huge mistake. Read on to find out why and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for your free legal consultation.

  1. Statements You Make to the Insurance Adjuster Could Hurt Your Case
  2. Insurance companies often come off as friendly. The adjuster you work with may seem as though they are on your side. They are not. They may ask you leading questions and get you to say something that could hurt your case. If you have an attorney on your side, we can help control the questioning – and your answers – to prevent this from happening.

  3. We Can Assure You Are Getting the Right Medical Treatment
  4. In certain cases, if the court finds that you did not get the right medical treatment by your own choice, then your award could be reduced. When you work with an experienced attorney, we know about common injuries and treatment options.

  5. You Can Avoid Having Your Medical Bills Go to Collections
  6. If you have received, or are expecting, large medical bills then it is wise to get an attorney sooner rather than later. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, we may be able to get your medical provider to agree to a lien on your settlement, to a payment plan, or to put the account on hold. We can also consider other options you may not have considered or been aware of, such as med-pay coverage.

  7. You Could End Up with a Gap in Treatment
  8. If you see a doctor and that doctor tells you to follow a specific treatment plan then it is imperative you do so. Choosing not to can appear to be evidence that your injuries were not as serious as you claim, or that your permanent injuries would not have been permanent if you had followed treatment guidelines.

  9. You May Mishandle Crucial Evidence
  10. You are not an attorney. You do not have experience gathering evidence in a personal injury case and even a small error could result in lost of corrupted evidence. For example, you may not know what to include in a witness statement, you may not take photos of the entire scene, you may not know how to get access to accident scene video footage, and more.

  11. You Could Miss Your Chance to Make a Claim
  12. Yes, you have two years to file a personal injury case in most instances. However, any number of factors could come into play that prevent you from being able to do so at the last minute. Plan ahead, seek counsel right away, and you will have time to recoup if there are issues.