South Florida Injury Attorneys Blog
Car accidents can happen anywhere at any time, including in Palm Gardens Beach, Florida. This quaint city experiences these kinds of accidents daily, along with common mistakes car accident victims make.
It’s not unusual to feel a surge of adrenaline, shock, and feelings of fright if you’re involved in a car accident, but these feelings can quickly take over, causing you to forget what you should do in these situations.
The experts at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers want you to protect yourself after any car accident you may be involved in. Here are the top 8 common mistakes a car accident can make and how you can avoid them.
Florida Car Accident Laws
Before diving into the most common mistakes, it’s important to know about the laws regarding car accidents that the state of Florida has in place. Florida operates differently than some states regarding these events because they have a modified-comparative system in place.
The modified-comparative fault system means that all parties involved in car accidents are responsible for a portion of the accident. The option for the victim to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver is only available if their accident meets certain requirements. Rather, drivers are required to seek help through their own insurance before seeking other avenues.
Florida requires drivers to carry a minimum of $10,000 in both personal injury protection and property damage liability. Car victims can use the PIP to cover medical bills and lost wages from the accident, while the at-fault driver can use their PDL coverage to help assist the victim.
Even though this system is in place, mistakes can still be made that affects compensation including reduced settlements and compensation. Any victim must make sure to be careful about what they say following the accident.
8 Common Mistakes Car Accident Victims Make
Know the 8 common mistakes car victims make in Palm Beach Gardens and how a Palm Beach Gardens Car Accident Lawyer can help.
1. Forgetting to Get Other Driver’s Information
Regardless of Florida’s car accident laws, it’s important that you always try to obtain the other driver’s information. Many car accident victims may forget to do this. If you can, make sure to write down the other driver’s name, contact information, and insurance policy number so your attorney can contact them later, if needed.
2. Skipping Medical Attention
It’s common to be fearful of EMS or doctors and may want to skip this step, but it’s important that you don’t. Car accident victims that miss out on being medically observed can hurt their claim because this evidence can be used by an attorney. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case can be
3. Not Collecting Evidence
It’s common to feel a surge of adrenaline after a car accident, but you should do your best to collect evidence for your attorney to use later, if you can. Take photos of your vehicle, the other driver’s vehicle, any injuries you may have, and any other proof that contributed to the accident.
4. Filing for Insurance ASAP
You may think that the first thing you should immediately do after the accident is to file an insurance claim, but this is actually another mistake that can hurt car accident victims. Filing for insurance too soon can hurt your case since you may have a lack of evidence or proof that you were the victim, especially if you have yet to obtain a copy of the police report or your medical records. While you should not wait too long to file an insurance claim, it should not be the first thing you do once you return home.
5. Admitting Fault
One of the mistakes that can come from filing insurance too quickly is that you might accidentally admit fault or say something implying fault to your insurance adjuster. Adjusters are always looking for ways to minimize how much money they assist you with, so you should consider speaking to an attorney before speaking to your insurance on your own.
6. Prolonging Speaking to an Attorney
Many car accident victims make the mistake of waiting to contact an attorney until they run into issues with their insurance adjuster. The best way to prevent this is to contact a Palm Beach Gardens Car Accident Lawyer before talking to your insurance. Car accident lawyers can speak to your insurance adjuster on your behalf to answer all questions thoroughly and precisely so that you don’t minimize your potential compensation or run the risk of saying something that can be misconstrued. Additionally, if a first settlement offer is too low, your attorney can negotiate to help you seek a fairer settlement.
7. Talking to Other Driver’s Insurance Representatives
Just as we advise not to speak to insurance representatives on your own, you also shouldn’t make the common mistake of talking to the other driver’s insurance representative. Their mission works similarly as they are waiting for you to slip and say something you didn’t mean to that could be misconstrued to insinuate fault so that their client isn’t responsible for the accident.
8. Settling Too Early
Car accident victims that try to handle their own claims with insurance risk settling too early. Doing this could cause you to lose all possibility of being fully compensated for your damages. An attorney can help you determine what a fair offer is and what you need in your situation.
Go Mistake-Free with Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers
Have you recently been injured in a car accident in Palm Beach Gardens? Make sure your first move is to contact the law office of Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers. Our professionals can help you throughout the entire legal process of seeking compensation (by appointment only).
We have been serving communities in Florida for the last four decades, by appointment, to help car accident victims recover from medical bills and lost wages, as well as helping bring closure to an accident.
If you’re ready to work with a skilled, high-quality attorney, here’s how to get started:
- Call (561) 800-8000 or leave your information in our online contact form
- Schedule a free consultation at a time of your convenience when one of our team members contacts you
- Come into the office to meet one-on-one with one of our attorneys
- Ask all the questions you have to hear about how we can best help you
- Start working with a Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyer
We make it easy to get started so that your case can be handled correctly. Contact Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers today to avoid these mistakes and optimize your chances of a successful outcome.