Mistakes To Avoid After a Truck Accident in Utah

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If you suffered severe injuries in a truck accident, maximizing your compensation can be critical to your physical, emotional, and financial recovery. You can improve your chances of securing the money you need by avoiding common mistakes that could undermine your case and give the insurance company an excuse to delay, minimize, or deny your claim.

Below, the personal injury lawyers at Swenson & Shelley discuss the common mistakes people make after truck accidents and how to avoid them. Give your case the best protection possible by contacting us today for a free consultation with an award-winning truck accident lawyer.

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Top Mistakes to Avoid after a Truck Accident in Utah

Refusing immediate medical treatment

Never refuse a medical exam by paramedics at the accident scene, and never argue if they want to transport you to the hospital. By refusing immediate medical attention, you risk not only your health but also give the trucking company and its insurers a way to argue your injuries are unrelated to the accident. This is especially risky if you wait days, weeks, or months to seek medical treatment. Getting immediate medical attention ensures your injuries are documented and linked directly to the crash.

Failing to follow the doctor’s orders

Similarly, you should always follow your doctor’s treatment instructions. Failing to follow through with medical treatment could cause your injuries to worsen over time. This can negatively impact your prognosis and the compensation you recover in your truck accident claim. Ignoring your doctor’s orders gives the insurance company room to argue you failed to mitigate your losses by allowing your physical condition to deteriorate and do not deserve full compensation.

Admitting fault at the crash scene

After an accident, it’s natural to want to say, “I’m sorry.” Whether your instinct to apologize is because you believe you were at fault for the crash or because you want to offer sympathy to others, you should never make any statements that can be interpreted as admitting fault.

You may not know all the facts even if you think you caused the crash. An investigation could uncover evidence proving that another party bears at least partial fault for the collision. But if you admit fault, you give the trucking and insurance companies evidence to argue that you are wholly or partly to blame for the truck accident and your losses.

Giving a statement to the insurance adjuster

An insurance adjuster may contact you after a truck accident to ask for a written or recorded statement. Never agree without consulting a truck accident lawyer first. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions to elicit responses that can be used against you when taken out of context. You are better served by letting your attorney handle all communications with the insurance company. Your lawyer can provide the insurers with the information they need to process your claim while protecting your best interests.

Accepting compensation from an insurance company right away

Insurance companies often try to minimize their liability for truck accidents by getting accident victims to accept immediate settlement offers. Adjusters rely on the fact that truck accident victims need quick cash to help pay for medical bills and make up for lost wages. However, the first settlement offer from the insurance company rarely provides an accident victim with the full compensation they are entitled to.

If you accept the initial settlement offer, you may not know the full extent of your injuries or what medical treatment and rehabilitation you need. But once you settle, you give up your right to seek further compensation — even if new expenses or losses arise. Always consult with an attorney before accepting a truck accident settlement offer.

Discussing the accident, your injuries, or your case on social media

For many Americans, social media is a natural extension of their lives. While you might want to tell your family and friends about the truck accident and your injuries, it’s not a good idea to do it through social media. That’s because you put yourself at risk of saying something publicly that contradicts your truck accident claim.

Imagine your claim demands compensation for debilitating shoulder and neck injuries. If you post photos or videos of yourself swimming and playing tennis on Facebook while your case is pending, the insurance company could use that information to challenge your credibility.

The best advice is to avoid talking about the accident or your case on social media and request that friends refrain from posting pictures of you online. At a minimum, put your accounts on a private setting and refuse friend requests from people you do not know.

Contact an Experienced Utah Truck Accident Attorney

Getting prompt legal representation can help you avoid critical mistakes that could jeopardize your rights to compensation after a truck accident. Let Swenson & Shelley stand up for you. Our trusted legal team will handle every aspect of your case so you can move on with your life. Call or contact us today for a free case review.