If you have been injured on another person’s property, you may be thinking about filing a personal injury claim with their insurance company. Many personal injury claims can be negotiated between yourself and a claims adjuster. However, it is important to be aware of your legal rights before agreeing to any monetary settlement.

Insurance companies exist because they make a profit by keeping claim payments to a bare minimum. Insurance claim adjusters are trained to keep the bottom line low for each fiscal year. The biggest aspect to remember in a personal injury case is that insurance companies make money by giving you less. Many injured parties don’t recognize this dynamic, and it can cost you later in a settlement if you do not know the following four mistakes.

Waiting too long to file

You never have to wait for the results of your medical examination to file a personal injury claim with an insurance company. However, it would be wise to research your state’s statutes of limitations before beginning the injury claim process. Usually, the length is one year, but if you wait too long you might not be able to pursue an injury claim. Your first move should be to hire a personal injury lawyer immediately after being injured on another person’s property. These professionals can offer guidance in submitting the proper documentation needed to complete the injury claims filing process with an insurance company. Hiring a personal injury lawyer can also be helpful in the case that the insurance claim does not go as it should.

Drafting an unconvincing demand letter

Your personal injury lawyer can begin drafting a demand letter, which will be sent to the insurance adjuster’s office. The content of the letter should include your account of the events leading up to when the injury took place. It is important to summarize your case succinctly, since insurance adjusters read multiple claims on a given day. The tone of the demand letter should be neutral, and it should never make any threats or accuse the other party of causing the injury. Failure to act in this matter often prevents good faith negotiation from ever taking place.

Speaking too much on social media

Drafting a demand letter doesn’t guarantee your personal injury claim will go through as smoothly as possible. Insurance companies want to settle cases as quickly and cheaply as possible. It is important for them to settle quickly because they don’t want to be responsible for paying for persistent medical issues.

Many insurance companies are notorious for looking at an injured party’s social media accounts to find any self-incriminating evidence online. It could be a video, a picture, or a passing comment, but all could be used as damaging evidence in an attempt to show fraud. It is best to keep the details of the injury or even the case offline. Reserve speaking about the case and injury to immediate family members until the settlement is final.

Avoiding or cancelling your visits to the doctor’s office

The insurance company will send you a medical release for you to sign. This document will state in detail that your signature will help them to verify your injuries and it would be in your best interest to sign. This is often an attempt to leverage you into letting them obtain and gather confidential information about your personal medical history. Make sure to keep visiting your doctor regularly throughout the insurance claim process, because it will guarantee that your information will remain up to date. Also, keep a diary of each examination and all treatment sessions that are directly involved with your case. It’s important to never delay or take for granted your own personal health. Doing so will be an indication to insurance adjusters to take away any future monetary compensation as an option in a possible settlement agreement.

If you need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, contact Attorney Dean Boyd today. You can call us at (806) 242-3333 or Contact Us by email to learn more about our Services. You can also visit our office at 4423 SW 45th Ave in Amarillo, Texas or 10623 Quaker Ave #102 in Lubbock, Texas to see how Dean Boyd and his team can help you.