Accidents may happen to anyone at any time, no matter how careful they are, especially in cities like Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the most populous city in Pennsylvania. According to recent reports, 10,417 car accidents occurred in Philadelphia in 2021 alone. Remember, you have to factor in the other types of personal injury accidents also to realize the seriousness of the issue.
There is a list of do’s and don’ts that everyone must follow after an accident. However, most of the time, these rules aren’t considered since victims are traumatized by the accident.
Hiring Philadelphia personal injury lawyers after an accident, especially one that caused you serious injury, is an essential thing to do to mitigate the consequences of the accident. Most victims either underestimate their injuries or are too busy to drag the individual who caused the accident to court.
And when they finally do, it’s too late. This article discusses the common complications that arise when the victim doesn’t follow the necessary steps after an accident.
Proving Liability
Finding the individual responsible for the accident that caused your injuries is an essential part of any lawsuit, not just a personal injury lawsuit. However, this isn’t easy.
Proving liability requires evidence. The gathered evidence must be convincing enough to prove that another individual, intentionally or due to negligence, was responsible for the accident.
Gathering evidence is difficult because, most of the time, it is situational. For instance, suppose you broke your arm because a drunk driver hit your car. Unless you have a witness who saw the drunk driver’s driving patterns or other evidence that supports your statement, proving the other person was drunk and behind the wheel is difficult.
Not Taking Injuries Too Seriously
Accidents often trigger a fight or flight response. When this happens, the body releases copious amounts of adrenaline and endorphins, both of which increase your awareness levels, boost your heart rate, and release sudden bursts of strength.
Immediately after an accident, your body’s fight or flight response may nullify your senses. Nullify here means that you don’t feel your injuries because your body is in an alert stage to get you out of trouble. Once you’re out of trouble, you start feeling the effects of the accident.
Delayed treatment is an important tool that defendants and insurance adjusters use to downplay your injuries. Your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit may be dismissed, stating that your injuries aren’t serious enough to warrant compensation.
Poor Record Keeping
Maintaining records is crucial to getting the upper hand in a personal injury lawsuit, but most defendants sadly don’t do this. It is vital to retain every document related to the accident.
Documents refer to sets of things. The first is injury related. Accident victims don’t often take pictures of their injuries or the damage their vehicle or property has suffered. Second, are the documents and records that prove that the accident occurred. This includes police records, proof of hospital visits, bills for medication, receipts for fixing your vehicle or property, and other such documents.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations is a law passed by the legislative body that sets a specific amount of time after an accident when an individual can file a lawsuit. Victims cannot file a lawsuit against the defendant once the statute of limitations has passed.
The statute of limitations is one aspect that many defendants either ignore or are forced to ignore. By ignore, we mean that the victim may not take their injuries seriously, so they may not file a lawsuit. The victim may be forced to ignore the statute of limitations if they’re bedridden due to the injuries they sustained in the accident.
Not Hiring a Lawyer
Personal injury claims are a tough nut to crack, even for experienced attorneys. The average citizen will find it extremely difficult to tackle a personal injury lawsuit alone.
Your personal injury case is going to be 10 times more difficult without a lawyer. Handling a personal injury case by yourself means that you’re not only missing out on the expertise of a lawyer but also the resources that come along with them, like expert witnesses and the skill to negotiate with insurance adjusters.
Accidents are horrific events and can leave a lasting scar on your physical, mental, and financial health. By avoiding the mistakes mentioned in this article, you can, hopefully, get the right compensation that makes up for the hardships you have gone through.
