No one expects you to respond perfectly after a spinal cord injury. However, there are eight critical mistakes to avoid so that you protect your health and your legal rights. These include delaying medical care, speaking to the insurance company alone, accepting a quick settlement, and not contacting a Long Island spinal cord injury lawyer.
A Long Island spinal cord injury lawyer can guide you through the process and help ensure that all responsible parties are identified. They can explain what steps to take and what to avoid so your injuries and losses are properly documented. Understanding these common mistakes can help you focus on recovery while preserving your right to compensation.
In This Article
Reading time: 5 minutes
- Mistake #1: Delaying Medical Care
- Mistake #2: Not Following Through With Treatment
- Mistake #3: Not Collecting Evidence
- Mistake #4: Speaking to the Insurance Company Alone
- Mistake #5: Accepting the Insurer’s First Settlement Offer
- Mistake #6: Not Taking Action Soon Enough
- Mistake #7: Not Hiring a Spine Injury Lawyer
- Mistake #8: Not Being Honest With Your Attorney
- We Will Ensure You Avoid Unnecessary Mistakes Throughout Your Case
Mistake #1: Delaying Medical Care
Spinal cord injuries are potentially catastrophic, and the injured party frequently requires long-term—or even lifelong—care. This is the most important reason to seek out medical attention immediately after an accident: to protect your health and well-being. Getting treatment quickly also supports your legal case: it proves that the accident caused an injury serious enough to warrant medical attention.For a free legal consultation, call (516) 932-0400
Mistake #2: Not Following Through With Treatment
Always see a doctor and follow through on all required care following an SCI. Stopping treatment too soon or refusing a treatment your doctor says is necessary could have the same negative impacts on your health and your rights as if you had not received treatment at all. If you are thinking of foregoing care because of the expense, please tell your lawyer. We will assist you in finding ways to access care until you receive a settlement.Mistake #3: Not Collecting Evidence
Always hold on to all materials that might have a bearing on your case. For example, if you got a bill from the hospital you stayed at after the accident, or if you exchanged emails with your boss about how you will be unable to work for a while, retain copies of these materials. They illustrate the effect your injury has had on your life. If possible, you could also take more active steps to build your casefile. These steps include taking photos of the accident scene and, in auto accident cases, getting the at-fault driver’s contact information. Because SCIs are often so serious, not everyone is able to collect evidence right after the accident happens. Do not worry about this or risk your health to gather evidence: your attorney will build your casefile for you.Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today
Mistake #4: Speaking to the Insurance Company Alone
Whether you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, a premises liability accident, a construction accident, or another event, the liable party probably has insurance. It is this insurance company that is responsible for paying negligence-related damages. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters are trained to look for even the smallest gaps or inconsistencies in accident victims’ stories. They will use anything you say against you, so it is better to say as little as possible and let your legal representative do the talking.Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Mistake #5: Accepting the Insurer’s First Settlement Offer
Insurance companies often try to minimize what they have to pay by offering lowball settlements and pressuring vulnerable accident victims to settle quickly. In fact, it is very likely that the insurer’s initial offer will undervalue your losses. You do not have to agree to anything the insurer says. Wait until we have a chance to investigate your injuries and estimate their likely future impact on your life. This way, you will know if the insurer is trying to shortchange you, and you will know how much compensation you should ask for.Mistake #6: Not Taking Action Soon Enough
If you are still recovering, it might be tempting to focus only on that for now and put off taking legal action until later. However, you have a limited time to file an SCI lawsuit, and missing the deadline could mean losing the right to pursue compensation. (It is also very important to note that a shorter statute of limitations may apply to your situation, depending upon the circumstances of your case. It is best to take advantage of a free case review with an attorney so that you know exactly what deadlines you are facing and what your best options for legal action are.) In addition to official legal deadlines, you need to think about how evidence deteriorates over time. For example:- Surveillance footage might be erased
- Physical signs of the accident, like skid marks from car accidents, will fade
- Witnesses will start to forget the details of what they saw
- Important paperwork might be misplaced
Mistake #7: Not Hiring a Spine Injury Lawyer
Spinal cord injuries often upend victims’ lives. You need time to receive treatment, make arrangements at work, process the changes in your life and abilities, and adjust to these changes as a family. It is very difficult to do all of this and manage a legal claim at the same time, especially since the insurance company has handled countless cases like yours before. When you call our spinal injury law firm:- You will receive a free consultation from a firm that has prior experience with the complexities of SCI cases
- You will have the chance to ask all of the questions you need to understand your rights and options
- We will tell you more about the services we offer and how they benefit you
Mistake #8: Not Being Honest With Your Attorney
As mentioned earlier, it is very important to watch what you say around certain parties, especially insurance companies. However, there is one party that you should always be completely open with regarding your accident: your personal injury lawyer. In order to build the strongest possible case and prepare ourselves to fight back against the insurance company’s tactics, we need to know everything that you do about the accident. Even if you are afraid the truth makes you look “bad” or “guilty,” tell us everything. We are not here to judge you: our only interest is in advocating for your future by winning the best possible case outcome for you.We Will Ensure You Avoid Unnecessary Mistakes Throughout Your Case
For over 30 years, Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., has been guiding clients through the legal process and empowering them to avoid mistakes after a spinal cord injury. Call today to get started. We offer free consultations to all callers and charge no attorneys’ fees until you win your case.Call or text (516) 932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form